I'll Kiss Your Lips Again
by Dylixia
Summary: UCHIHACEST- ItaSasu. A forbidden love, created by truth to be blanketed with lies. Most secrets never last, and when they are discovered, all Hell breaks loose. Sasuke doesn't want to but he's forced to make the agonising decision: Itachi or his clan?
1. Awakening

**I'll Kiss Your Lips Again  
**

**Chapter one: Awakening**

_In which Sasuke stumbles onto a whole other side of himself.  
_

**Huzzah!** The story's being rewritten, folks! I can't stand knowing that something so poorly-written is allowed to exist on my account! ^^ Therefore, I'm going through the whole thing and rewriting it until I'm satisified. Maybe I'll end up doing the same thing in a few years! -Let's hope not-

**Warnings:  
**This story contains **incest, **romantic and sexual love between **two males**, bad language, violence, blood and lots and lots of angst. (:

The above warning applies to the whole of the story, though only the cursing actually takes place in this chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

"No! Itachi, NO!" I half-screamed, half-giggled as my older brother's fingers sharply jabbed at my ribs, making me squeal with laughter.

I wriggled out of his grasp and leapt towards the door, laughing the whole time. My heart was in my throat, my grin wide with excitement. Hearing Itachi coming after me, his feet slipping over the hardwood floor of the hallway, I laughed loudly to myself as I scurried into the living room to get away from his persistent tickling. He was getting closer and closer to me and within seconds, I was on the ground, pinned down by Itachi. Straddling my waist, he held my arms down by my sides and pushed his face close to mine. My heart was already pounding but its rate increased tenfold as I lay beneath my brother.

"Foolish little brother." He hissed, and I bit back a giggle.

Squirming beneath him and his intense dark gaze, I tried to break free. Of course, my brother was ten times the ninja I was and the age gap between us meant that his strength was much greater than mine. I had no chance of escaping. One of his hands moved to pin my wrists above my head and the other proceeded to poke at my ribs, enticing more laughter to slip through my lips. My muscles felt even weaker from the continuous laughter and this seemed to amuse Itachi, as he only sniggered at my feeble attempts to get him off of me.

After what felt like hours of _"Itachi's Tickle Torture"_, he stopped and we both started laughing hysterically. He collapsed onto the floor next to me, his raven bangs falling into his onyx eyes as he chuckled happily. Our eyes met when he turned his head to me and for some reason, it felt like I couldn't look away. There was something about the depth of his dark orbs that drew me in; made me feel like I was falling. It was ridiculous really, considering how similar our eyes were anyway. Perhaps my own eyes were just not as beautiful as his. A slight twinge of envy sparked in my chest but I dampened down the jealousy firing up. We were brothers, not enemies.

While I was lost in my own musings, I didn't notice Itachi leaning closer to me, face close to mine once more. He turned onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow as he lowered his head towards mine. My breath caught in my throat. What was he doing? Not of my own accord, my eyes started to drift closed as if I were caught in a genjutsu or being hypnotized. Light confusion settled on my racing mind but then I realized that I was waiting for a kiss… waiting for the kiss that never came.

Itachi seemed to snap back to his senses.

With the grace that Uchihas were thankfully blessed with, he swiftly jumped up and backed away from me, my wide eyes following his movements.

"I- Sorry- I've got to go." He stammered, regaining composure as he hurried out of the room.

I lay there, stunned and breathing heavily with thoughts of what had just happened speeding through my head. I didn't want those thoughts to keep spinning like they did, but I couldn't think of anything else. Frustrated, I pounded my fist against the hardwood floor, feeling the pain of the action echo through my hand as the sound did through the empty room.

We were too old for those kisses now. I still got squeamish when my mother would give me a kiss on the cheek goodnight- it had been years since I last kissed my brother for any reason. Nose wrinkling at the mere thought, I ignored the pounding in my chest and got to my feet. According to the clock hanging above the fireplace, it was only half-past two in the afternoon. Despite the early time, the adrenaline rush had left me drowning in exhaustion. All I wanted to do was sleep but I knew that my mum would just wake me up. _"You won't sleep tonight!"_ She'd say… so I didn't bother wasting my time by going to bed, I just grabbed my shuriken pouch and headed outside.

* * *

Despite the fact that it was early September, the sun was shining brightly that day, though the chilling breeze of autumn hung in the air. I shivered as I made my way over to the clearing in the Uchiha complex training ground behind my house. It was the perfect place to practice my shuriken technique. Usually, I preferred Itachi to accompany me in my training but he was normally too busy to help me out, as my father _always_ was.

Facing the first target, I breathed deeply and reached into my weapons pouch, taking out three; one between each knuckle of my right hand. With a powerful jump, I leapt into the air, whipping my wrist out and firing the shuriken at the targets. Landing back down on the ground, my feet meeting the dusty floor with a dull thump, I realised I had only hit four out of the five targets. Growling with anger, I clenched my fists tightly as I refrained from yelling out my frustration.

"Damn it." I cursed quietly, gritting my teeth as I willed my body to relax.

To most training ninja my age, four out of five was a good achievement. To me, it was failure and it tasted bitter in my mouth. I was an Uchiha and I could not even aim shuriken correctly… it was pitiful. Taking a breath, I tried to refocus. My eyes squeezed tightly shut but I soon realised that there was a scene playing out behind my eyelids, stuck on replay. That stupid near-kiss was refused to leave.

Hissing, I repositioned myself, pushed the memory from my hectic mind and tried again. I tried until my hands were all cut up from my fierce handling of the metal stars and my chest was heaving from the effort of moving in the air like I did. By the time it grew dark, I was shattered, the exhaustion from earlier in the day crashing over me tenfold. Wearily, I dragged myself back to the house and slipped off my shoes at the entrance. I rested my bag of weapons on the table and urged myself to remember to polish them later when I wasn't so tired. Somehow, I doubted that I'd get around to doing that on the same day; I was on the verge of collapsing where I stood.

My chest was still burning for oxygen as I slowly walked into my bedroom and slumped down on the bed. It was dark inside and it was such a comforting change to the brightly-lit hallway of my house. Eyes drifting closed, I tried to calm my breathing.

"Did it not go well, little brother?" Itachi's voice startled me from my relaxation.

Instantly, my eyes snapped open and fixed on my older brother leaning against my doorframe, a smirk playing on his lips. Once my initial surprise wore off, I averted my gaze, embarrassed and ashamed. Not only would I have to explain my failure to Itachi, I had just made a fool out of myself by not noticing his appearance. Today was just not my day.

"No, actually, it didn't." I murmured, sitting up a little against the pillows.

With a contemplative hum, Itachi gave a short nod of understanding and stepped into my room.

"How many of the targets did you hit?" He asked, voice soft as he made his way over to my bed. My tired heart skipped a beat.

"Only four," I muttered bitterly, glaring down at my hands – that ached from the constant repetition of the same movements needed for throwing shuriken. "No matter how hard I tried."

The mattress dipped with Itachi's weight and his sudden bark of dry laughter surprised me, my eyes snapping up to his, lit with amusement.

"Sasuke, there are only five targets out there anyway…" He said, as if I was delusional and unable to understand him properly.

My lips tightened into a scowl and I lightly kicked at his back with my foot.

"I know that." I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

A short sigh escaping his lips, Itachi frowned.

"Four out of five is good, Sasuke. _Anyone else_ would be pleased with that result."

"You wouldn't." I retorted, voice quiet.

Itachi shook his head, his fingers curling and uncurling in the bedspread on which we sat.

"No," he disagreed. "_Father_ wouldn't, but I would be perfectly satisfied."

After a moment's silence spent watching Itachi's slender fingers playing with the dark cotton of my blanket, I spoke up, saying what I knew was circulating in my older brother's mind as well.

"In this family, what _we _want or would be doesn't matter." I whispered, and Itachi nodded slightly, raising his gaze to meet mine.

I was too busy analysing the strange look in his eyes to notice that his hand had made its way over to mine, resting limply on my stomach, to curl his fingers over my own lightly. Startled, I stared down at our touching hands, my skin tingling at the contact. Giving a gentle squeeze, Itachi started to get up, his hand leaving mine.

Before he straightened up completely, he leaned forward and brushed my bangs away from my forehead in order to press a light kiss there.

"It won't always be this way," he promised. "I'll make sure of it."

Stunned, I could only nod, accepting his words and the weight that came with them.

"So be happy." He murmured, drawing back and poking the same spot that he kissed, hard.

"Ow!" I protested, snapped out of my daze by the small jolt of pain.

"Like that hurt, you big baby." Itachi smirked, turning to leave my room. "Dinner's going to be ready in five minutes, by the way."

With a goofy grin that I was glad that Itachi missed – his back was turned – I swung my legs round and clambered out of bed to follow him down the hallway to the kitchen.

My mother was already sitting at the table, a bowl of salad, a plate of rice balls, and a steaming bowl of noodles and vegetables laid out before her. She smiled warmly at me as I entered the room, her dark eyes crinkling at the edges. I returned it, taking my seat next to Itachi.

"Your father is running late at the police headquarters." Mother explained, taking it upon herself to dish out my meal for me, pushing the overloaded bowl across to me as Itachi dished out his own dinner.

Immediately, I felt like such a child next to him. Pushing the thought away, I picked up my chopsticks.

"_Itadakimasu._" I murmured, hearing my brother and parent repeat as we all began to eat.

I was only a few bites into my meal when the front door slid open and my father entered the room. His eyes were narrowed and annoyed, his mouth a tight line, downturned at the corners.

"It is nice to see that you waited for my arrival." He deadpanned, sitting down and grabbing his chopsticks with a little more force than necessary.

"I apologise, Fugaku." I watched, with a hint of pity that was overridden by a sense of anger, as my mother's gaze fell to the floor, submissive and afraid. Her voice was quiet but it crawled under my skin. "We should have waited."

"Yes, you should have." My father grunted, satisfied with the response his grumpy mood had created.

As he dug into his meal, his eyes snapped from my subdued mother to my quiet, stoic older brother. Itachi sat up a little straighter at the look, meeting Fugaku's stare evenly.

"Have you been training, Itachi?"

"Of course." Itachi said curtly, noticeably more tense since the number of people at the table had increased.

Eyes narrowing slightly at the short response, my father paused in his eating to fire another question at Itachi.

"How many hours today, then?"

His own eyes hardening at the incriminating undertone of the question, Itachi lay down his chopsticks gently, although his bowl was nowhere near empty. Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, I watched the exchange silently. There was an unmistakable tension in the room and although it had always existed between Itachi and our father, it seemed to crackle loudly around us at this point.

"Two or three." Itachi replied, looking directly at our father, who bristled at the answer

"Two or _three-_ that's not nearly enough! You should be doing _double _that if you ever want to improve!"

Fugaku slammed his fist down on the table, making the plates and bowls jump against each other. My mother's hands darted out to steady them, her eyes wide.

Anger noticeably rising, my father lashed out his hand, effectively knocking his glass of water to the floor.

"You're an Uchiha! What the hell have you been doing all day?"

When he received no reply from Itachi, he banged his hands on the table furiously before turning burning eyes to me. I shrunk back, pushing my bowl away from me as I flinched under the heavy, accusing stare.

"I bet you've been fucking around with Sasuke again!"

I stared blankly at the floor, stinging from the accusation. I hated the idea of being the source of conflict for our family. My eyes snapped up again when Itachi stood, calmly and slowly despite the situation, and headed for the door.

"I haven't been _fucking_ _around_ with anyone. Sasuke is my brother and I will spend as much time with him as I damn well want to."

Ignoring my father's inevitable angry protests, Itachi left the room and the meal continued in silence, though I was too sick to my stomach to be able to eat anything else. Not five minutes after Itachi left, I politely and quietly excused myself before darting after him.

His door was shut when I stood in front of it, but I knocked softly and waited for him to answer it. When he opened it, his face was blank and emotionless, but his eyes softened and the hint of a smile appeared on his lips when he realised it was me.

"Hey, Sasuke," his fingers curled over the doorframe as he leaned out of his room to speak to me. "Are you okay?"

Surprised at his show of concern, I quickly nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I actually came here to ask you the same question. Dad was… being a twat to you at dinner."

The smile disappeared from Itachi's face.

"Yes," he agreed stiffly. "Fugaku does have a habit of doing that, but I'm fine, thank you, little brother."

The way he referred to our parent by his name rather than his title did not go unnoticed by me but I knew it wasn't my place to question Itachi on it, so I didn't. Instead, I hesitated for only a moment before taking a small step into the room and wrapping my arms around Itachi's waist, burying my face in his chest.

"I hate him when he speaks to you like that." I mumbled into the fabric of his shirt, feeling his hand lay flat against my back gently as he returned the hug.

"I know," he murmured, squeezing me a bit tighter before releasing me completely. Looking down into my eyes, he poked my forehead lightly. "And I hate it when he speaks about _you_ that way."

Flattered by his protectiveness towards me, I nodded in agreement.

"He makes me feel like it's my fault." I confessed, searching Itachi's face for a giveaway to how he felt about this.

After a few moments of silence, he stood up straight and shook his head slightly.

"No, Sasuke. Don't ever think that – it's not your fault." Giving my shoulder a light squeeze, he looked at me seriously. "It's never your fault."

With that, he closed his door and I stood there numbly, mind reeling.

Though I trusted Itachi more than anyone, it was hard for me to accept his words.

All I could really do was wait and hope for this family to sort itself out, and even if it didn't; I could only hope to still have my older brother by my side through everything.

Still... my head was spinning and it made the memories of the almost-kiss replay over and over in my head until I wasn't sure about anything anymore. If the family split up, would Itachi even still be my brother anymore? Or would I have ruined everything?

As painful as it was, the only answer I could give myself was _'Maybe'._

* * *

**You know I love you, right? (:**


	2. Learning About Falling

**I'll Kiss Your Lips Again**

**Chapter two: Learning About Falling**

_In which Sasuke discovers that not everything is perfectly alright in his head._**  
**

Why, _yes, _I _am_ rewriting this story for the better! Good lord, just doing so kills me every chapter I re-read. I can't believe a story this _awful _gained as much popularity as it did! I'm flattered - don't get me wrong - but I'm also entirely confused. Anyways, my disbelief aside, I'm much happier with my quality of writing now (Hey, it's a lot better!) so here's the rewritten version of chapter two. **Enjoy!  
**

* * *

The confusion didn't pass.

My head was plagued with thoughts of my older brother and while I had _always_ looked up to him; aspired to be like him, the obsession I felt building up in my chest was much stronger than I was used to. The mentioning of his name sent a shiver down my spine, his sudden appearance in a room would make my heart leap into my throat with excitement and every time we touched accidentally or in a friendly manner, I felt faint.

Something was wrong with our whole relationship – something had altered since that day all those weeks ago. I wasn't sure if he felt it too… perhaps there was just something wrong in my own brain. That wouldn't surprise me. Itachi was always so cool and collected, so even though I knew him better than anyone, I still couldn't read him. Neither of us ever breached the subject of this sudden awkwardness between us, so I suppose I could assume that he simply had not noticed it. I would have done just that, if I could, but in some way, he was different. That lack of spoken communication between us did little to ease my frustration.

I had been sitting on our front porch, studying a jutsu scroll whilst eating a rice ball and completely immersed in the ancient texts before me, when Itachi came home after another lengthy mission. Yet again, I embarrassed myself by having my ninja abilities desert me completely when I failed to sense his approach.

Looking up as a shadow stole the light I was reading in, I almost choked on the soft, sticky rice in my mouth. Hurriedly, I set it down on the plate beside me and stood up to acknowledge Itachi's presence. He snickered at my delayed reaction and I just playfully growled at him, pretending that I wasn't bothered by my slip-up.

"Glad to have me back?" He teased, voice silky and strong. I tried not to let its effect on me show.

Shrugging, I flashed him a small smile. "Eh, I didn't even notice that you were gone."

"Oh, _Otouto_, you wound me! However, I do believe that those tears of happiness in your eyes say otherwise." Itachi chuckled, taking a seat on the porch before tugging on my sleeve to get me to do the same.

I gave him a dark look but as I sat down, I checked that he was only kidding. It seemed that I couldn't trust my body these days. Luckily, it turned out that he was joking. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's getting late." Itachi sighed, looking out at the horizon; a warm blend of bright oranges and pastel pinks as the glowing sun set over the forest lining our area of town.

I made a small noise of agreement but then turned to him with a hopeful look.

"But we can still go and train, right?"

Itachi laughed a little at this and I resisted the urge to smile in return.

"You are so impatient, little Sasuke. I'm an old man, worn down to the bone from a harsh mission and I receive _this_ demand when I return home?"

At this, I could not help but laugh.

"You're only eighteen!" I objected, pushing at his shoulder playfully.

"On the outside!" Itachi declared, looking back at the dying sun.

"Actually, maybe not even there…" I smirked slyly, reaching out to flick a dark lock of hair hanging into Itachi's face. "Look, you're greying already!"

Tutting, but with a smirk on his lips, Itachi curled his fingers around my wrist lightly and pushed my hand away. Then, getting to his feet, he tilted his head questioningly and gestured in the general direction of the training grounds. Excitement bubbled within me. Happily, we walked side by side to the clearing in the forest that was filled with many over-used targets; their cork and wooden surfaces were speckled with the dents made by numerous kunai and shuriken. It was a wonder the ancient equipment had not yet fallen apart.

"Right," Itachi broke the comfortable silence as we got into our positions. "Precision is deathly important. Bring the hand holding the shuriken closer to your body."

I moved as he told me to, my palm facing my chest with shuriken held firmly between my knuckles. At Itachi's disapproving click of his tongue, I tensed up. Had I done something wrong _again_? As I opened my mouth to ask this out loud, the words caught in my throat because Itachi was suddenly standing right behind me, his chest brushing against my shoulder blades with each of his movements.

Slowly, he reached across me and placed his warm hand over my own. The other hand gently took my other wrist and extended that arm in front of me.

"That's better." He breathed, his face close to my own. My heart gave an enthusiastic _thump_ of agreement. "Use the hand not holding the shuriken to aim."

Shaking off the warm feeling spreading throughout my body, I tried to concentrate on Itachi's words, absorb his advice. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes to see my target more easily, using my other hand as a guide.

"Good." My older brother encouraged. "Now let's throw it together."

Tightening his grip marginally, he counted us down and when he flipped out his arm, my own followed the action. There was a sharp thud as the shuriken we threw shot through the air and buried itself in the dead centre of the target.

Pride and envy washed over me. I was proud of my achievements but of course, the clan's prodigy, my brother, had been the one to help me.

We continued practising for over an hour and the number of times that Itachi had to criticise or improve upon my technique dwindled to nothing over that course of time. Though I had already perfected the technique, I would occasionally feel my hand involuntarily slip down a few inches so that I would miss the target and once again require his assistance. Some part of me knew that it was deliberate; and it was probably the same part of me that darkened with disappointment when he _didn't_ physically show me how to throw properly.

When he was too tired to teach me any longer, we sat down together on the grassy ground, staring up at the darkening sky. The sun had long since set and now darkness was washing over the pastel colours, like ink blotting out the painted canvas and stealing the light.

A sigh of contentment slipped from my lips as Itachi put an arm over my shoulders and gently tugged me against him. Unfortunately, he mistook it as a shocked sound and withdrew, looking at me apologetically.

"Sorry… I was only being friendly." He explained, averting his eyes from my own.

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant." I chuckled, pulling at the blades of grass between my fingertips. "I'm just happy, that's all. I haven't seen you in a long time."

A moment of silence passed as my words sank in. Then, my older brother smiled at me and I had to remind myself not to make a fool out of myself again. That stupid smile, reserved only for me, made my heart twist with a feeling of elation in my chest.

"I enjoyed today too." He replied, getting to his feet. "Unfortunately, it has to be drawn to a close. Come on, it's too late and dark for us to even see the targets now."

Nodding, I got to my feet and straightened out my top. Itachi held out his hand and for a moment, I thought that he wanted me to take it, but then reality settled in.

"Oh!" I exclaimed quietly, reaching into my pocket to carefully withdraw the shuriken that I had used that evening.

When he took them from me, he winced and it took a moment for me to realise what had happened. He held his hand up to better inspect it in the moonlight, and I saw the scarlet liquid – turned crimson by the darkness – beading on his fingertip before trickling down his hand.

"Sorry!" I blurted out, feeling guilt settle lightly in my chest despite the fact that it was an accident.

"No, it's fine. It was my fault." Itachi objected, frowning down at his small cut.

Tenderly, I reached out to lower his hand and see the cut for myself. Before I knew what I was doing, my lips had parted and when they closed, it was around Itachi's finger. The heavy, metallic taste of blood would have made me cringe, but I was too absorbed in what I was doing to care. My dark eyes were wide and surprised, gaze attached to Itachi's as I mutely continued gently sucking on the bloodied digit until the taste of blood disappeared. Swiping my tongue over the tiny wound, I released his hand and my gaze dropped to the floor.

My lips opened and closed repeatedly as I gawped stupidly at the ground, stunned into silence. The metallic tang of blood was clinging to my tongue and it made me feel sick to me stomach – unless that was the worry and confusion from my actions.

Finally, Itachi seemed to regain composure. Curling his hand up into a light fist, he flexed his fingers and then pushed his hand into his pocket. He swallowed hard and looked away, pointing to the exit from the forest.

"Come on. Let's go." He commanded, turning quickly on his heel.

_Damn it._

Walking quickly, I caught up with him. My mind was whirring, the earlier scene replaying over and over again. At the time, it had simply felt like a perfectly innocent – if not slightly odd – moment between the two of us. As I walked beside him, the backs of our hands occasionally brushing as we made our way back to the house, I realised that the whole interaction had something intimate about it… something almost disturbingly _sexual._

Wincing at the thought, I cast my older brother a wary glance. Perhaps he hadn't noticed anything strange about it. Perhaps I was simply overreacting. This conclusion tingled in my chest, not quite healing the heavy feeling in my heart; I wasn't entirely convinced by it, as much as I wanted to believe it. Itachi ignored me as soon as we walked through the front door. Sighing, I removed my shoes and stared after his retreating form. Damn it, of course he'd noticed.

Itachi hadn't eaten since lunchtime that same day, so I had expected him to get something to eat from the kitchen, but he didn't. He just went straight into the confines of his room, the door closing with a finalistic thud. Pinching the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb, I heaved my aching body into the kitchen to get a drink.

My mother was already in there, sitting at the table and sipping a hot cup of tea as she read a book.

"You're back late, Sasuke." She commented, her voice tight and tinted with disapproval.

Half-shrugging, I offered an apologetic smile and started filling a glass with water.

"Itachi was training me." I explained, hoping that my excuse would calm my mother's nerves as I sipped my refreshing drink.

Eyes tearing away from the worn pages of her book, Mother looked at me, probably taking note of my unease. I shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze and downed the rest of my water, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hmm… how did it go?" A kind smile was directed my way and I nodded thoughtfully.

"It went really well, actually. I've perfected my technique."

There should have been a hint of pride in my voice, but my traitorous mind kept snapping back to the incident at the end of our training and Itachi's finger in my mouth and his intense gaze locked on me as I licked away the blood. I almost started shaking.

"Ah, that's good!" Mother exclaimed, all of my missing pride coating her voice tenfold. "You always learn so many things from Itachi."

Yeah, like how ambiguous my sexuality is and how twisted my mind is.

"Yes, I do… Anyways, Mother, I really need some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." Stifling a yawn, I nodded at my parent and dragged myself out of the kitchen and in the direction of my room.

"Okay, Darling. I love you." She called to me quietly.

Before I shut the door, I returned the sentiment. "Love you too, _Okaa-san._"

Finally reaching my room, I undressed hurriedly, leaving on only my boxers, and collapsed into bed. My head hit the pillows and I expected to fall asleep straight away… but, try as I might to let it claim me, sleep would not come. I tossed and turned for hours, mind and body restless.

It was driving me insane; I needed sleep otherwise I would be incredibly grouchy the next day.

* * *

When I awoke, eyes bleary and unfocused from sleep, someone was sitting on my bed. Their hand was laid upon my thigh, the heat from their hot skin seeping through my thick blankets. My first instinct was to cry about but then a soft finger was pressed to my lips and my eyes, widened by fear, finally managed to focus.

It was only Itachi. He smiled at me, his onyx eyes crinkling at the edges as the corners of his lips tugged up happily. I wanted to ask what he was doing there but my vocal cords were tight and I didn't seem to be able to find the words. My throat was constricting enough as it was; I could barely breathe, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

The hand on my thigh started moving, massaging my leg before slipping under the blankets and caressing my bare skin. I was stunned, staring at him like an animal in the clutches of its fearsome predator. A part of me wanted to protest but there was a sick, dark part of me that urged that hand to travel higher, to touch me where the burning was. Between my legs felt hot and hard with arousal, the skin boiling with my blood.

Embarrassment coloured my cheeks a deep red but Itachi didn't seem to notice, though his fathomless eyes had yet to leave my face. Those slender fingers against my leg trailed upwards, brushing against my hardened length through the thin material of my boxers. I tried to gasp but the noise was strangled in my throat.

Then he spoke.

"It's okay, Sasuke. You can make as much noise as you want to. They're not home – they'll never know."

My heart starting beating even faster, hammering against my ribcage and persistently trying to shatter it. Lips parting, I tried to respond. Where were our parents? Why was Itachi doing this? More to the point, why did it feel _good_?

Leaning down, Itachi brushed his soft lips against my cheekbone. I lay frozen beneath him as he whispered teasingly into my ear.

"Come on, Brother." Hot air tickled my sensitive skin and I shivered delightfully, hands aching to touch him but they were pinned to my sides by some invisible force.

"Say my name."

* * *

When I woke up for real, the dream was still swarming my sense and my older brother's name was on my lips.

"_Itachi._"

It had just felt so _real_ and so _good._

Afterwards, I just felt sick and dirty – contaminated and diseased. I wanted to scream my frustrations into my pillow, to cry, to shout, to erase the dream from my brain in any way possible.

Biting down hard on my lip, I gingerly swept a hand lightly over my crotch. I was still hard and craving release.

"Damn it." I whispered quietly to the empty room and the sunlight starting to peek through the curtains.

It was still early morning and I didn't want to wake anybody. For that reason, I kept my mouth shut as tightly as my eyes – which were squeezed closed hard enough to draw out beads of moisture – as I wrapped a warm hand around my pleading length and let my hand do the work of pleasuring me and working me towards release.

Though I tried so hard to block them out – thoughts of Itachi and my contact with him, no matter how innocent, filled my screwed-up head.

There was something seriously wrong with me.

* * *

No, no, Sasuke, it's perfectly normal... for fictional, strange characters such as you. (:

**Please review - I'd love to know what you think - particularly if this isn't your first time reading _I'll Kiss Your Lips Again _- do you like the changes/new writing style or do you prefer the old one! If you've got the time, please let me know!**

Much love, you fantastic, awesome people!

- Connie.


	3. Three:The First Step is Admitting It

I wrapped my hands around my aching length, shutting my eyes tightly.

Could I do this? Not masturbating, I'd done that loads of times before. I mean could I masturbate over a dream about my _brother._ If I did this, I knew in my heart that I would be admitting to myself that I _did _have some feelings for my aniki, ones that weren't of a brotherly nature. As sick as it was, I realised that I could do this; I was prepared to jerk myself off with thoughts of my brother.

I started to pump myself, softly at first, then gradually getting harder. I did this for a few minutes, before I realised that my own touches were getting me nowhere towards the much needed release. _Damn. _

I exhaled loudly before shutting my eyes again, and picturing Itachi in my mind. His long, shimmering raven hair, tied back in a perfect ponytail. His soft, porcelain coloured skin, that feels amazing against my own. His beautiful jet black eyes, so like my own. The little lines under his eyes that are the only thing that stops us from being identical. I love them, nonetheless. His delicious lips that almost always are placed in a heart-stopping smirk that makes my breath hitch in my throat.

I imagined those lips feverishly kissing my neck. That silky hair brushing against my shoulder. That smooth skin working against my own, as he roughly massages my member. Those lips releasing soft moans against my neck, mingling with my own vocals. The fantasy ended as I came violently over my _own _hand.

"_I-Itachi!_" I moaned loudly, before biting down on my tongue- angry with myself for making any noise.

I panted loudly for a few moments, pulling my boxers back up, and flushing the toilet.

I washed my hands, scrubbing at them, trying to wash away the feelings I had for my own brother. But I knew it was too late. I'd already fallen for him. And damn it, I fell hard.

I cautiously opened the door, poking my head out to check that the hallway was clear, before exiting the room. I practically tiptoed back to my bedroom, and slowly closed the door behind me. I sighed in relief, and turned to walk to my bed, where I collapsed upon it. I closed my eyes, wearily rubbing my aching temples.

"What?" A deep voice demanded.

My eyes shot open.

"F-fuck!" I exclaimed, seeing Itachi standing by my doorway once more, an eyebrow raised at me.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I couldn't help but to look at his chest. It was naked in front of my eyes. He was wearing no more than a pair of loose tracksuit bottoms, that hung perfectly on his perfect hips. I gulped, willing myself not to grow hard again. _Shit. _

"Y-you scared me. Wh-what are y-you d-doing in here?" I asked, sitting up on my bed.

"You cried my name when you were in the bathroom. _What?_" He asked, impatiently.

My insides boiled at my stupidity and I felt instantly sick. Worry overcame me, and I stammered nervously, eyes darting around my room as I searched for an excuse.

"I- er- um…" I trailed off, not finding anything suitable for an excuse.

Itachi rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Freak. It's five AM on a _Saturday _morning. What the _hell _are you doing, screaming my name for _no good _reason? Is this some kind of stupid joke? 'Cos I'm telling you now, Sasuke, it's not fucking funny. Go back to sleep, or just be freakin' quiet you little weirdo." He growled, before turning to leave my room.

My cheeks burned madly, and I lowered my gaze to the floor.

"Sorry aniki." I murmured, eyes still fixated on the floor.

He turned slightly, to look at me.

"It's okay, Otouto. Just be quiet, huh? I just got back from a mission, and I'm knackered. G'night, Sasuke." He left my room, leaving me once more with the feeling of guilt and shame.

I scrambled back under the covers of my bed, despite still being thoroughly dressed since I never actually got ready for bed last night, but fell asleep on top of it.

I rolled over, and fluffed my pillow up.

I'm so fucked up.


	4. Four: My Pain Threshold

I swirled my breakfast around in my bowl with my spoon. It was some unnameable, indescribable, mushy crap that I doubted was even edible.

"Sasuke…" My mom scolded.

I groaned and reluctantly dug my spoon in, and ate the contents of the sickly yellow bowl in front of me.

This time, at this meal, our father was present. He coughed loudly, and broke wind, chuckling in childish manner, as if farting was the most hilarious thing ever. I pulled a face, both at the foul taste of "breakfast" and at the disgusting habits of my father.

I cast a glance at Itachi, who was also grimacing, and forcing himself to eat the "food" in front of us. As if feeling my gaze, he looked up, straight into my eyes. I blushed and looked away. I looked back seconds later, to see that he was still staring at me. His face was expressionless, so I poked my tongue out at him.

He smirked, and I broke out in a grin, my heart thudding wildly at such a small accomplishment. _He thinks I'm cute. _I held my grin for the rest of breakfast, until our father belched loudly, pushing his bowl away from him.

"That tasted like sick, why do you insist on me eating this crap. When are you going to learn to cook real food?" He growled, chucking his spoon across the room into the sink.

My mom sunk her head in shame, and embarrassment. She mumbled an apology.

I looked from her to Itachi, who had anger burning in his eyes, his sharingan threatening to appear any second now. But he dampened it down. I knew the anger he felt was directed at our rude elder, who had now left the room, most likely to go to the bar.

Anger burned in my own stomach also. My mom's cooking wasn't great, but most of it was good. Food like today's only tastes horrible when mom has to cook something from scratch and leftovers because my insolent dad spends all of our money on Sake.

Bastard.

I silently left my chair, to sit down beside Mom, rubbing soothing circles on her back, as a stray tear fell down her cheek. She leaned her head against my shoulder.

Itachi stood next to her, and put a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder.

"He's such a twat, mom. Why don't we just leave him?" He whispered, his eyes catching mine.

I nodded slightly, but mom violently pushed me away, and stood up.

She slapped Itachi across the face with the back of her hand.

I gasped and ran to Itachi, whose sharingan was now showing, crimson orbs burning with anger. Fury was written across mom's face, showing in a red flush.

Tears were leaking from her eyes.

"Don't you EVER talk about your father that way! We love that man, and he is good to us! Always remember that, you ungrateful bastard!" She yelled, storming out of the room, flinging her olive apron down on the table on her way out.

Itachi was leaning against the kitchen counter, his sharingan still present, his rage still showing on his beautiful face. His hand was cupping his cheek, which I could see was burning scarlet, red as the Sharingan, swirling in his eyes. I threw my arms around his waist, burying my head into his shirt.

His arms came down to wrap around me, holding me close to him.

I looked up at his face; he was still glaring at the door. I tenderly reached up and put my hand to his bruised cheek, cupping it gently.

"You're not a bastard, aniki. You're the sweetest guy I know." I stated.

Itachi chuckled lightly, running his hands through my hair.

"You have to say that Otouto." He smirked.

"Why?" I queried, already suspicious at that comment.

"Because if you don't…" He paused for affect. "I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!"

He poked at my ribs violently and I let out a squeal of laughter. I ran away from him, although he was close behind me, grabbing at my waist.

I ran into the hallway, but stopped in front of Itachi's room. The huge oak door loomed over me, inviting me in, _daring _me to enter. I hadn't been inside Aniki's room for _years _but now, I wanted desperately to go in. Itachi was round the corner, and I heard him running after me. I grinned to myself, before flinging open the door and scuttling in.

"Sasuke!" Itachi cried, seeing me inside his room.

I giggled, pretending not to hear him, loving the feeling of being somewhere that was private to the person I admired. Loved. Was _in_ love with.

I blushed lightly at this thought, but shrugged it off, skipping around the dark red room. The black carpet was soft beneath my bare feet, as I ran over to the bedside table. A small object had caught my eye, a small silver ring, with a purple stone in the middle. A character was etched into the stone, which shone in the light.

I scooped it up off the table. Itachi was watching me from the centre of the room.

"Aniki, what's this?" I inquired.

I gasped as Itachi appeared in front of me, and pushed me onto the bed. He straddled my waist. _What was he doing? _

"Foolish little brother. You should know better than to play with my things." He muttered, prising the ring from my fingers and settling it down on the table again.

I pouted, knowing that he couldn't resist my pouty charms.

Then it happened again.

He was hovering over me, his bangs swinging into his face as he lowered his head to mine, eyes drifting closed, lips pursed, in preparation for a…_kiss?_

My breath caught in my throat. Time slowed down. The rest of the room blurred away. We were the only people in the world. I closed my eyes, desperate for the sensation of his soft pink lips upon mine.

They never came. Just like last time. Itachi pulled away, realising what he had done. _Just _like last time. Except it wasn't. Except, this time, I _wanted_ the kiss.

Well, not just _wanted. _I _needed _that kiss. I needed the feeling.

And damn it, I was going to get it.

I reached my arm up, and put it around my brother's neck. I quickly pulled his head down to meet mine once more.

"Sasuke? What are you do-"

I cut him off by capturing his lips in a kiss. I was pressing against his lips roughly with my own, my heart fluttering in my chest. I kissed him longingly, desperate for some reaction from him. I got a reaction all right.

Itachi's eyes had shot open, and he roughly pushed against my chest.

Our lips broke apart, and my eyes widened- the reality of my actions setting in.

I felt my face burn up. Itachi was shocked. For lack of a better word.

He scrambled off the bed, and turned away from me. He stood like that for what seemed like forever. I sat upright on the bed, watching him. I was so worried about his reaction; I had chewed my bottom lip to pieces. A thin trail of blood trickled down my chin, and I hastily wiped it away with my hand.

At my sudden movement, Itachi spun round. I gasped when I saw that his gorgeous eyes had taken on the form of Sharingan once more. Whenever he was angry or threatened; that was when his Sharingan appeared. So why was he using it now?

He dropped his arms to his side, and walked back towards me again.

"Sasuke. That was- was- _wrong_! _Why _did you _kiss _me?!" He asked, his voice tinted with shock, still.

I shouldn't answer. I _couldn't_ answer. I stood up, fixating my eyes upon the floor as I ran from my older brother's room, and his Sharingan, which followed me the whole time.


	5. Five: Secrets Unlocked

As is the Uchiha way, Itachi and I pretended to forget what had happened, and continue on as normal.

Itachi still had some resent towards Mom for hitting him, and of course, he still hated Dad. To top it all off, he was acting strangely with me. Of course he was. What did I expect him to do when I kissed him? Hold me in his arms and kiss me back? _Hah. I wish. _

I flicked the metal of my forehead protector, which was all steamed up from the heat of my shower. I wrapped a white towel (that had the Uchiha crest symbol upon it :grin:) around my waist, and scooped up my clothes and headband.

I opened the door and walked out. Itachi had exited his room, and was walking towards me. As it was early morning, he was going to have a shower. I had to avoid looking up at him, when I realised he was in nothing but boxers. I couldn't restrain myself…I had to look. I admired his pale torso, his muscular chest, and that small line of dark hair that trailed off into his boxers. I gulped audibly. His boxers, under which was his…

My eyes grew wide when I realised that Itachi was looking at my own chest. _Was he really? _I looked up at him, just to check that I wasn't imagining his steady gaze, directed at my own chest. At this point I was glad that I was in good physical condition. I wasn't _really _muscular, but the outline of my muscles was visible. I looked at his eyes again.

I was probably wrong, but I swore I detected a hint of desire in his onyx orbs.

Desire for_**me?**_My heart skipped a beat.

My cheeks felt like they were on fire, when I felt him staring at my own eyes.

I smiled weakly before increasing my pace, until I got to my doorway.

I looked over my shoulder briefly.

He smirked at me.

I slammed my door behind me, and collapsed against it.

I practically hugged myself, and felt a small shiver of pleasure running up my spine as I thought about what had just happened. I pictured his smirk in my mind. _Kawaii. That smirk. _I bit my lip in order to prevent myself from getting horny again.

Luckily, it worked.

I pulled my t-shirt over my head, continued to get dressed. I stood in front of my window as I wrapped my headband around my head, and tied it, just below the black-blue spikes of my hair. I ran my fingers through my already-dry hair, and adjusted it to exactly the way I liked it.

Some might call my hairstyle gothic, emo. But to be honest, I couldn't give a shit. I didn't copy my hair to be this way. It just naturally spikes up like that, because of the way it's cut. Sakura thinks I should cut it really short. I told her to fuck off. Yes, in those exact words. She looked like she was going to break down in tears. Then I felt a _little _bad. I didn't want to make her _cry. _Just get off my back. She's annoying, to be blunt.

Everything about her annoys me. From her long pink hair, to her perfect painted-pink toes. Well. Not everything. She's good at distracting Naruto from pissing me off so much that I kick him where it hurts most. She's also good at listening, even if it is just to find a secret way of making me _want _her. I laughed out loud at the thought of me _ever _being attracted to Sakura. Personally, I'd rather date _Naruto. _And I'm not even _gay. _Or am I? I mean lets face it. I'm in love with my _brother. _Does that make me gay? I don't _think _it does. I've been attracted to girls before, Ino, for example was my first crush. Then it was Temari, from Suna. That stopped after Shikamaru subtly threatened me… He said if I went anywhere near Temari, he would rip my balls off, regardless of what I could do to him if he dared.

I left my room, grabbing my kunai pouch from the table in the hall, before leaving the house. I was only going into town, but I took my weapons pouch everywhere with me, outside of home. You never know when you're going to need it.

I passed Ichiraku's Ramen Store, and saw, to my _shock, _none other than _Naruto. _Shock horror. I stepped inside the store and greeted him.

"Hey, Naruto." I called, seating myself on the stool beside him.

He nodded in greeting. Seeing as he had a mouthful of Ramen, I'm glad he didn't open his mouth to say anything to me.

Ichiraku politely asked me what I would like. I just ordered whatever Naruto had, and placed the money on the counter.

When my bowl came, I thanked the ramen waitress, and tucked in. I had taken only one mouthful before Naruto had finished his bowl. He patted his stomach and let out a content sigh. I smiled at him and swallowed my noodles.

Naruto waited for me to take another mouthful, before asking me:

"So how come you're in love with your brother?" He grinned.

I choked on my noodles, coughing violently. _How did he know?_ Shit! I grabbed a napkin and spat my food out into it, coughing for air.

I panicked inside, what was I going to say?

I looked at him, fearing the worst.

He was rolling around on the floor, laughing hysterically.

I scowled at him, feeling annoyance and anger flare up inside me.

"Teme!" I growled.

He sat up, recovering from his laughing fit. _Shit. I really thought he knew. _

How can do I act now? What do I say?

"Oh, yeah! As if!" I chuckled dryly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

Naruto stopped laughing instantly. He silently sat down next to me again.

He didn't look at me, and instead focused on the menu board in front of him.

I frowned, as he stiffly turned to face me. He slowly raised a hand and pointed at me.

"You…you…_are _attracted to him!" He breathed.

_Shit._

"No, I'm not, Naruto. That's _sick._" I lied, trying to act normal.

Naruto slowly shook his head, staring at the board again.

"Now I may be an idiot, and I'm not too good at reading peoples emotions, but even I don't need your fancy Sharingan-crap to see that you do feel that way about him!" he accused, and my cheeks flushed red.

"It's sick, isn't it? It's so, so wrong." I murmured, cheeks on fire.

Naruto awkwardly raised a hand and patted me on the back comfortingly.

I sank my head into my hands, and shook my head.

"What am I gonna do? I can't be in love with Itachi- it is incest!" I hissed, in despair.

"You're so going to Hell." Naruto stated.

My head shot back up to look at him, eyebrows raised.

"That's the least of my problems right now, Naruto!" I exclaimed.

"Why are you _horny_ right now? Cos dude, that's just rank if you are…"

"Naruto! No! I'm on about- ah, forget it. Don't you _dare_ tell _anyone_ about this. If anyone, including Itachi finds out about this: I. Am. Going. To. Carve. Your. Lungs. Out. With. A. Very. Sharp. Kunai. OK?" I threatened, my voice low.

Naruto looked scared. Very scared. He raised his arms defensively.

"Okay, okay. I won't tell anyone. Unless I'm drunk." He joked.

I didn't smile. I squinted my eyes at him, and he turned away, shaking his head.

"See ya, dobe." I said goodbye, in the unique way reserved just for Naruto.

He waved his hand dismissively and I rolled my eyes, stepping out of the Ramen store, and onto the crowded streets of Konoha.

I dug my hands into my pockets, and looked around at the colourful shops and busy people. I yelled out when I was yanked into a dark alleyway, just next to the Ramen store. I hissed when a hand was placed over my mouth.

"So you're in love with Itachi, eh?" A sly voice asked.

I gasped, recognising the voice as Kabuto, one of Itachi's old friends. They used to hang out a lot. They stopped a long time ago, and now they don't get on at all.

Kabuto smirked at me in the darkness, and I felt a spark of fear in my stomach. Kabuto had always come across as _dodgy _to me. He was always looking at me weird, or sneaking quick glances at my butt. It scared me, man.

"No, I'm not, you pervert." I hissed, denying it.

My "attacker" let out a dry laugh.

"I heard you talking, Sasuke-kun. I _know _your secret. I bet you'd do _anything_ to prevent him from knowing, wouldn't you?" He purred, reaching up to stroke my cheek.

"If it were true, yeah." I growled, folding my arms across my chest.

Kabuto roughly slammed me up against the wall and my breath caught in my throat.

_Fuck. _He leant forward, his rough, bushy silver hair tickling my neck with its scratchiness. His unstylish glasses steamed up with my breath- that's how close he was to me. I didn't like it. Of course I didn't.

"What the f-" He cut me off by placing his hand over my mouth.

"Shut up. Listen, _Sasuke-kun. _I know how your secret. I can _keep_ it for you, as long as we have an agreement." He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes.

"What sort of agreement?" I asked, suspiciously.

"This one." He gave me a sultry smile before leaning in and kissing me.

I gasped and pounded at his chest to get him off of me. He pressed himself against me harder, and pinned my wrists to the wall with his hands. Forcefully, he shoved his tongue into my mouth without asking for entrance. The sick _bastard!_ Why was he doing this, this is gross! I wanted nothing more than to bite on his tongue, which was roaming around my mouth without permission. He's like, the same age as Itachi-

Itachi. I realised what Kabuto meant. If I let him do _stuff _with me, he won't tell Itachi how I feel.

Am I prepared to do that? Am I prepared to _sell _myself?

**Fuck no**__

I pushed Kabuto with all my strength.

"Fuck you, pervert." I spat in his face, and then I straightened out my top, and left the alleyway.


	6. Six: This is Real Love

"So your father and I are going to visit her." My mom dropped the bombshell on us that evening.

"What!" Itachi exclaimed, he was as shocked as I was.

"You two boys should be fine. You're nearly men." My father huffed.

Itachi gave him a look that said: "I'm-going-to-say-this-like-you're-a-5-year-old"

Before saying:

"Sasuke is only 14, dad. And I'm only 18. We're hardly 'men'." He explained.

My father narrowed his eyes at Itachi's words, and growled in a low tone.

"Don't back chat to me, _boy._ If you're still a _boy _then you're still young enough to be slapped into shape, eh?" He threatened, slamming his newspaper down on the table.

"Your mother and I leave tonight. Come help me pack, ."

My mother silently followed my father out of the room, and Itachi and I looked at each other, evil glints in our eyes.

We would be alone in the house, for 3 days, and 4 nights. Who knows what we could get up to? I could think of plenty of things we could do…_together_. But I'm not quite sure they'd be what Itachi had in mind, too.

'Yes!" I mouthed at Itachi, across the table, who smirked again. My heart melted at the sight.

Damn, Sasuke, get a grip.

Itachi stood up, and collected the plates. He carried them over to the sink, and I followed him. He prepared the water for washing up.

"I'll help." I offered, eager to spend some time with him.

Itachi nodded. "Pass me that jug then please, Otouto."

I loved it when he called me Otouto. It was like an affectionate nickname. He called me just Sasuke, or Sasuke-chan in the presence of others.

I beamed and put the jug in the warm soapy water for him. As I pulled my hand out, his soft skin brushed against mine. I started to blush, and pull my hand away. But he, he smirked at me again. I wrinkled my nose, confused. He took hold of my wrist and pulled me in front of him, so that my back was facing him.

He took my hands in his, and my heart started pounding in my rib cage. He put our hands in the water, and placed a cloth in one of my hands. With his fingers curled around mine, he scrubbed the plate in the bowl.

My knees almost gave way when I felt his hot breath on the shell of my ear.

"Seeing as you're so crap at washing up, we should just do it together." He murmured into my ear, his breath tickling it.

"H-hai…" My vocal cords didn't seem to want to work properly- so I stuttered, making myself look retarded. I blushed again.

I _felt _Itachi smirk, and we carried on like that, washing the dishes- together.

"Boys, we're leaving now, to Miaka's place. We'll be back in 4 days, mmkay?"

Itachi and I dried our hands, and nodded.

Our mom kissed us both on the cheek, and our dad waved his hand dismissively.

"We have to go. Itachi, Sasuke- train hard. Any parties here, and you're dead."

We stood patiently in the kitchen, until we heard the front door slam.

"Yes! Sasuke this is going to be so cool! We could get some DVDs out, couldn't we?"

I nodded eagerly. We're going to watch films together! My stomach did a loop-de-loop and I grabbed onto Itachi's hand, and tugged him along. I tried not to have heart failure from that unique sensation of his hand on mine, as I skipped out the door, to the rental store.

Itachi had wanted to rent horror films out, and of course: I agreed. How could I resist that smile?

We settled down on the soft couch. I sat as far away from Itachi as possible- I didn't trust myself around him. Well, more, my body- I didn't want to get horny again, in front of him.

We had the lights on low, a pack of sodas, and a huge bowl of popcorn. Our parents were gone, and it was just us two. Perfect.

The movie went fine for the first hour or so, but then a terrifying slaughter scene was acted out, and I screamed, scooting as _close_ to Itachi as possible. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my head in his shirt. I'm never afraid to act childish with my aniki, and neither is he, with me.

I whimpered into the silky fabric that held the scent, and the person I love.

Itachi's hand rubbed soothing circles into my back.

"Otouto, how are we _ever _going to have _fun_ if you're always _scared?_" He teased.

Was that a _seductive _tone to his voice? I raised an eyebrow. My chest hurt as my heart threatened to pound its way out of its prison. I felt a shot of adrenaline, as I sat up, straddling my brother's waist.

"What type of _fun _are you suggesting?" I said suggestively.

"This type." He whispered, voice husky.

For the third time, our lips threatened to meet. And for the second time, they did. And for the first time, Itachi kissed back. I worked my lips against his- the feeling was indescribable- but I'll try anyway. It was like my whole world had lit up- my whole body was alive, and aching to be with his. My lips burned, and my hands were almost shaking as I ran them through Itachi's loose, raven hair.

His hands were splayed against my back, applying pressure, urging me closer.

I obliged, pressing myself closer against him, wanting to become part of him, to be as close as we could get. He removed his hands from my back, and ran them down my torso. He flipped us over, so we were laying on the couch- him on top of me.

The movie was still playing, but we were inside our own little world- together, nothing else existed.

Our kisses were so passionate, and when Itachi released my lips, I moaned at the loss of contact. My moan soon turned into one of pleasure when Itachi attached his lips to my neck, sucking and kissing it feverishly. I yelped, in half pain, half pleasure, when he bit down roughly, drawing blood. He sucked at the small wound, making sure to make a hickey that would last a good few days.

"V-v-vamp-pir-e." I moaned.

He smirked against my neck, as a hand reached up my top, to play with a nipple.

I threw my head back in pleasure, arching my chest into his touch.

He played with the hem of his shirt before yanking it up over my head.

Immediately, he attached his lips to my nipple, running his tongue over it gently.

I moaned again, nails digging in to the couch.

He moved on to the other nipple, doing the same thing, causing more moans to erupt from my lips. He brought his head to level with my own, and he looked deep into my eyes.

"Not that your moans don't pleasure me, Otouto, but the neighbours know our parents are gone, and that the only two people in the house are me and you…So if you don't mind…be quiet-"

"F-fuck them." I cut him off, not caring anymore about the damn neighbours. I was already fully erect, and I desperately needed release.

Itachi smirked.

"I'd rather fuck you."


	7. Seven: Big Brothers Are Always Right

"I'd rather fuck you." Itachi smirked at me.

I felt my face go pale. My breath caught in my throat.

Lose my virginity at 14? To my older brother? Panic overcame me.

"C'mon, _Otouto_." Itachi wrapped his arms around my waist, and picked me up, placing my own legs around his waist.

He carried me into my bedroom, and set me down on the floor, before attaching his lips to mine.

I was still panicking.

_Why?_

_Because I'm still a virgin!_

No. I think I'm ready for this. I let Itachi kiss me, and roughly started to kiss back. I bit his bottom lip gently, and he moaned loudly. I used this as an opportunity to slip my tongue into his mouth. I explored every part of his mouth, his gums, and his teeth.

He started a battle for dominance with my tongue, and of course, he won.

He slammed me up against the wall, and I gasped, the cold hitting my bare back.

The cold made my eyes snap open. I looked straight ahead of me, and saw our reflections in the full-length mirror opposite us. I saw how similar we were.

If not for the height difference, and the blue that tinted my black hair- we would be identical.

The moonlight streamed in from my window, illuminating us in the white light.

I thought of how our pale skin was exactly the same colour, our eyes exactly the same shape, and depth. The blood…the blood that had leaked out from the hickey Itachi gave me, and the blood that trickled from Itachi's lips after I playfully bit it…that blood, _our _blood…was the same.

I pushed against Itachi's chest, and he broke away, hurt in his eyes, that were just like my own.

"What's wrong Otouto?" He asked, the lust that had been in his eyes moments before vanishing as he was denied of a kiss.

"This." I whispered, eyes watering. I felt the physical pain in my chest again, and it felt like my heart was on fire.

Itachi gently took my hands in his, and held them above my head. Then, he slowly put his lips back to mine. Softly, and truly, he massaged my lips with his own. He built up the pace slightly.

"You want this, Sasuke." He assured me.

I gulped. He was right. I was beyond the point of wanting this- I _needed _it.

"But it's wrong." I argued, close to tears, my voice weak.

Itachi attacked my lips with his own, running his hands down my side.

He feverishly kissed the hickey he created earlier, enticing a small, quiet moan from my lips. I bit my lip.

He came back up, and licked the shell of my ear. Keeping his mouth by my ear, knowing his hot breath was driving me insane, he sucked on the lobe gently.

I moaned loudly, hating myself for it.

"But Otouto…"He kissed my ear again. "It's because it's _wrong-"_

He came to kiss my lips again, but paused right in front of them, looking deep into my eyes. I'm sure the once displayed doubt was being overtaken by lust.

He breathed hot air on my lips, making me wriggle in anticipation.

"-That you want it _more._"

I moaned loudly, and he turned us around, and pushed me back onto my bed.

He straddled my waist, and started to take his shirt off. I panted loudly. I was desperate for this. The doubt I felt earlier had vanished, and my mind was clouded by lust. For my aniki.

Once he ridded himself of the annoying piece of clothing; he leant down and placed a trail of baby kisses down my chest, stopping at the waistband of my pants.

I moaned as he pulled the zipper down with his teeth, and I tangled my fingers in his hair.

One my shorts were discarded, I ran a hand down Itachi's bare chest, before pulling down his pants with one swift movement.

Lust taking over his body, Itachi yanked down my boxers, revealing my full hard on.

He licked his lips teasingly, before lowering his head to my erection. He took me into his mouth instantly, grazing his tongue over the tip, licking away the pre-cum that had gathered there. He moaned, the vibrations sending shivers of pleasure up my spine. I pressed his head down on my length, and he surprised me by giving me a warning nip- telling me not to push. I yelped, and released my grip on his hair.

He ran his tongue around my shaft, driving me crazy. I was so close to that release that my body begged for. I felt my muscles tense, and so did Itachi. He pulled away. My head shot up in anger.

"Itachi!" I growled, desperate to cum- the pain in my dick was reaching a point where it was unbearable.

He chuckled at my despair.

"Relax, Otouto." He reassured me, coming back up to place a tender kiss on my lips.

He raised his fingers to my mouth. I stared at him a second, confused.

"Suck." He ordered, pushing his fingers through my lips.

I sucked on them gently, watching him become more turned on by the sultry expression on my face. When the digits were fully coated in saliva, Itachi pulled them out of my mouth.

"This is going to feel really uncomfortable Sasuke, but the more I do it, the lesser the pain will be later on." He comforted.

I braced myself, and he pushed the first finger in. He waited a second for me to get used to the feeling, before adding a second finger. I hissed in pain as he scissored inside of me, stretching the muscles.

He pushed in a third digit and I let out a small yelp as he pushed them in and out of me. Eventually, the feeling of discomfort faded, and was replaced by a shoot of pleasure as Itachi brushed something inside of me.

I moaned again, and Itachi thrust into me once more, hitting that spot, before pulling his fingers out.

"Your body is ready." He leant down to kiss my sweating forehead. "Are you?"

I could only nod; still recovering from the pleasure his fingers had caused me.

I shut my eyes, heart thudding as I thought of what we were going to do. We were going to become one. It sounds cheesy- cliché…but it's true. Our bodies were going to join. I bit my lip in anticipation, hearing Itachi unzip and remove his pants.

I looked up, and he was positioned above me, looking down into my eyes. He placed a loving kiss on my cheekbone, and then thrust into me.

I screamed in pain. Although the preparations had widened my tight, virgin passage, it didn't help much with the searing pain tearing through my body.

I writhed underneath Itachi, wishing the pain away. I felt like my body was being torn in two. Itachi kissed away the tears that appeared in the corners of my eyes.

He caressed my cheek lovingly, hushing me.

"Don't cry." He whispered. "The pain will go. _Trust me_."

As if he had complete control over my body, my whimpers immediately stopped. How could I not trust him? My aniki?

He let me adjust to the feeling of him inside of me, waiting for me to say to go on.

"Move, Itachi, please move." I begged, aching for the pleasure I felt earlier, when he touched that spot inside of me.

"Gladly." He smirked, thrusting into me again.

The pain turned to pleasure. He rammed into me harder, moaning into my ear. I had never felt so alive. Each of us moaned at the indescribable feeling of filling, and being filled. My whole body was on fire. Itachi's skin was hot against mine, and his breath hot on my ear.

I screamed his name when he found that spot inside of me again. He pulled almost all the way out, and then thrust back in again, at the same angle, hitting my prostate over and over. I needed to feel him deeper inside of me.

"Harder!" I begged. "Oh kami, harder, please, aniki!"

He granted my wish, ramming in even deeper, and faster.

"I love it-when you call me- that." He moaned in my ear, panting hard.

I felt myself so close to release. I tightened around Itachi and he moaned my name.

He tensed up at the same time as me. We released simultaneously, screaming each other's name. I felt the hot liquid spill inside of me, and Itachi slipping out.

He rested his head on my chest, which was rising and falling from my heavy breathing.

Once Itachi had caught his breath, he rolled off of me, and lay beside me.

We scrambled under the covers of my bed. He wrapped the covers around us, and pulled me close to him. I buried my head in his hot chest, fully happy.

I felt so safe in his arms, so protected. He was all I needed.

"I told you so." Itachi whispered.

I frowned, eyes still shut. I was too tired to open them.

"Told me what?" I queried, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"That you wanted me too." He answered, stroking my hair softly.

I didn't say anything, but smiled into his chest.

He kissed my forehead gently.

"Big brothers are always right."

And then we fell asleep, in each other's arms.

_Where we belonged. _


	8. Eight: A Promise Sealed With a Kiss

The next few days were bliss. We were so close. We practically never left the other's side. Our parents were due home today, and I had never been more disappointed in my life.

We were sitting on the couch together, me wrapped up in Itachi's arms, my head resting on his shoulder.

"Aniki?" I caught his attention.

"Hmm, Otouto?" he opened his eyes slowly.

"You love me, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, Otouto! What made you think otherwise?" He asked, frowning.

I shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, when I kissed you, about a week ago, in your room…you…rejected me." I pouted, the hurt evident in my voice.

Itachi held my head close to his chest, and then gently tilted my chin upwards with his fingers. He leaned down, closing his eyes. He kissed me softly, but passionately. My lips melted with his, and he pressed a bit harder, before pulling away. He pecked my lips delicately.

"Does that make up for it, Otouto?" He checked, and I blushed furiously.

"I do love you, Sasuke. I'm _in _love with you, too. But, I rejected you because I thought you were just messing around. Plus…" his voice trailed off.

"Plus…?" I encouraged him to speak.

He looked me deep in the eye, and stroked my cheek.

"It's incest, Sasuke. If we get caught- we're going to be in serious trouble. It's against the _law._"

I whimpered softly.

"I don't care, aniki. I love you, and you love me. They can't stop us from doing that." I insisted, kissing him on the lips tenderly.

"Dad will probably kill me though." Itachi sighed.

I giggled, and looked up at him- shocked to find his expression was serious.

I frowned.

"No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't dare hurt you." I tried to insist.

Itachi shook his head sadly.

"Sasuke, don't kid yourself. He won't hesitate if he finds out. He'll try to kill me. And mom will probably disown you."

I frowned.

"Then we'll run away." I said, 100 serious.

Itachi laughed.

"As if, Otouto."

"Why not? We should be together- brothers or not. It's just _right._" I argued.

"Even though it's wrong." Itachi whispered sadly, and I nodded.

We were silent for a few minutes, but then Itachi asked me:

"Sasuke-kun, promise me you'll stay with me." He whispered, and I swear I could see tears in his eyes.

I frowned.

I turned slightly in his lap to look up at him.

"Of course."

"Forever?"

I placed a small kiss on his jaw line.

"Forever."

"No matter what I do?"

"_Forever._" I promised.

"You'll never hate me?"

"I could never hate you."

"Never?"

"_Never._ Now shut up with all the questions and just kiss me already!" I chuckled.

Itachi obeyed, leaning down and kissing my lips with his own. He licked my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I let him slip into my mouth, and caress my tongue.

I moaned gently, as he ran his fingers through my hair, playing with the spikes.

I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the warmth seep through his shirt.

I jumped back, when I heard the front door open. _Crap._

Itachi gently pushed me away, and I wriggled around on the couch, trying to stand up.

Itachi stood up and straightened out his top.

"_Quick!_" He hissed, pulling me up by my wrist.

I stood next to him, waiting as the footsteps came nearer and nearer.

Our mom walked in, our _dad_ right behind her.

Mom hurried over to us, a smile on her face.

She squeezed my cheek and I grimaced, pulling away.

"How are my boys?" She cooed, standing back to study our appearances.

I shifted uncomfortably, not liking being looked at for too long.

I forced a smile- I was so gutted that they were back already, and the even interrupted a mind-blowing kiss. I cast a swift glance at Itachi, who was politely listening as our father lectured him on training. Itachi admitted that he hadn't trained at all since they left, and my father looked like he was about to explode.

"Out. Now. We're training three times as hard, today. Seeing as you didn't train for three days." He pushed Itachi forwards, out of the door.

Itachi looked back at me, and I smiled weakly. I never wanted to part from him.

Damn ninja rules.

I scowled as I heard the front door click shut, and I turned back around to face my mom.

She was frowning, staring at my neck.

"Sasuke? What's this?" She asked, in an awkward tone. Pointing to where my neck joined my shoulder.

"Hmm?" I asked, putting my hand to my neck.

I felt the small break in the skin. _Crap._ _The hickey!_

My eyes darted around the room, searching in my mind for an excuse.

"Err- what's what?" I decided to play it ignorant.

Mom leaned closer, suspicion playing on her face.

"It's a love bite, isn't it, Sasuke?" She ran her fingers over it. _Oh, no. _

She pulled back, and I feared the worst. I braced myself for the yells and accusations.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend! That's brilliant, Sasuke! My little boy has his first girlfriend!" She exclaimed happily.

"Huh?" I stuttered, confused. Then I felt relieved. She didn't get mad. _Phew._ I forced a smile.

"Who is it?" She probed.

"Mom…" I trailed off, in a tone that told her to let it drop.

"Is it that girl, with the _lovely_ pink hair? What's her name, Sakera, Sakura?"

"Mom! No, it's not." I sighed.

"Ooh! Is it TemTem? That older girl?"

"No! And that's _TenTen, _notTemTem" I explained.

"What about-"

"Mom! I'm going to my room. Just drop it, okay? Please." I begged, turning to leave.

"Just one thing Sasuke-" She stopped me.

"Yes?"

"You didn't- you're not…having _sex_, are you?" She asked, worry in her eyes.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my hand, and averted my eyes from hers.

"No, mom, I'm not."

"Good."

And I left the room, a huge feeling of guilt washing over me.

I lied to her. And she trusted me, but I lied.

I could hardly tell her though.

It has to be Itachi's secret and mine.

Besides, it's not like anyone is going to ever find out.


	9. Nine: A Change of Positions

**Woah. I never expected such a lot of reviews! Thanks for the support! You guys rock  
This chapter is... different. I've never read one like this. I think it's kinda crappy- and probably not as... hot... (for lack of a better word lol) As normal ItaSasu. Because, this is not an ItaSasu, it's SasuIta. I HAD to do it. This is the second lemon of the story. I'll probably write about three... so no fear, if you didn't like this one because of the Seme and Uke switch xD**

**Anywho... some review replies:**

**MissingEden- It's definitely my guiltiest too  
MoonIdiot- 1) LOVE your username :) and 2) Sasuke's 14, and Itachi's 16. Yeah. Messing with the ages was necessary!  
ForeverLoved - Thankies! That's so sweet! I'm glad you like it that much.  
Kpluvinthis- LOL. I forgot! My bad! I'll change the word now! Thanks a lot for pointing it out!  
**

**To everyone else: Thanks SO much! Much appreciation and cookies! 3**

**WARNING: Lemon, Yaoi, Incest, Underage Sex, You have been warned. (Not that the fact that it's Yaoi should be a warning- love is love, regardless of gender)**

* * *

It was Friday night and our parents had gone out to a bar.

We were sitting in Itachi's room, on the bed, watching boring soaps on TV.

I grew tired of the overacted drama, and turned around, so I was lying on my front.

I sat up, and straddled Itachi's waist, taking him by surprise.

I wanted to make the most of our time alone together.

Leaning down, I ran a hand over his chest.

"Aniki…"I whined.

"Hai, Sasuke?" He smiled at me.

"Let's have some _fun._" I insisted, in a suggestive tone.

"Great idea." He smirked, running his hands down my sides.

I leant down to kiss him roughly, biting his lip every so often. The kiss was light, and soft, but Itachi soon decided he wanted more, so he tried to deepen the kiss by licking my bottom lip for entrance. I denied him it, finding it fun to tease him. He tried again, and whined when I didn't let him in. I smirked, and pushed my tongue through his lips, starting a battle for dominance with our tongues. He was so surprised at my sudden entrance that he let me win the fight.

I massaged his tongue with my own, and ran my hands through his hair.

He tried to lift my shirt up, but I pulled back and slapped his hands away.

"Sasuke?" He questioned, not quite understanding.

"_No_. I pleasure _you_ tonight. I always return favours." I whispered in his ear. I licked the lobe gently.

He moaned quietly, and I moved my hand down to his crotch, massaging the bulge between his legs. He moaned again, and I almost did so myself- the sounds he was making were turning me on, too.

I kept my lips shut though, intent on being the dominant one tonight.

My fingers played with the hem of his shirt before I pulled it off, discarding it on the floor beside us. He arched into my touch when I pulled at a sensitive nipple with my teeth. I grazed my tongue over it, before moving up his chest, planting small kisses along it.

Deciding I'd teased his chest enough, I removed my own t-shirt, finding my body temperature too much to cope with right now.

I captured his lips in a kiss, and finding the belt of his pants, unbuckled it.

I swiftly pulled down both his boxers and pants. I chucked them in a corner somewhere then licked my lips at the huge, aroused cock of my brother that awaited me.

Getting on all fours, I crawled down the bed until I was level with his dick.

I licked the tip, tasting the pre-cum that had leaked out. I swirled my tongue around his shaft, teasing him.

"Otouto…"

"Hai, Aniki?" I smirked slyly.

"_Please._" He begged.

I took him into my mouth, and he moaned, arching into me.

I moaned when he entangled his fingers in my hair, hands gripping it tightly.

It felt strange and surreal, lying here, in-between my brothers legs, sucking him off.

It's wrong. But the wrongness just made it even more thrilling.

I hummed, with Itachi still inside my mouth, knowing the vibrations would send a pleasurable sensation through him. I sucked harder, running my tongue around him continuously. I felt him tense underneath me, so I pulled back.

His head shot up and his eyes snapped open, sharingan showing.

I chuckled at his impatience.

"Aniki, I thought you knew better than to waste Sharingan like that?" I teased, bringing my head level with his own.

"Otouto, c'mon! Please just let me fuck you!" He pleaded with an angry tone to his deep voice, sitting up, with a painfully erect cock.

"Aw…aniki- you know we _make love._ We don't '_fuck_' as you so _rudely_ put it." I mocked hurt, smiling slightly.

"Fine! Let me _'make love'_ to you! Just please! Help me release! It hurts!" He whined, panting slightly from the pain.

I pecked him on the lips lightly.

"No way." I disagreed.

Itachi frowned and looked shocked.

"_What? Why?"_ He demanded.

"I _told you before_. Tonight is about _me _pleasuring _you_. So shut up, and let _me_ 'fuck' you." I whispered huskily.

A look of horror graced his features.

"Nuh-uh. No way. There's no way I'm being Uke to my little brother!" He objected.

"Your 'little' brother is almost as tall, and as _big _as you, Itachi. So: shut. Up. And. Let. Me. Screw. You." I forced.

Itachi rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, and smirked.

"Otouto, you used to be so naïve and submissive. Whatever happened to your innocence?"

I leaned up close to his ear, making sure to breathe hot air on it before whispering:

"You stole it." I licked the ear lobe teasingly, but frowned when I saw the look of slight sadness and regret on my Aniki's face.

"You stole it in a good way, baka." I explained.

"But I feel bad-" He started but I cut him off.

"I'm _glad _you took my virginity, Itachi. I _gave_ it to you after all. Stop being such a loveable baka." I smiled, before kissing him again.

Relieved at his understanding, I raised my hips slightly to pull down my shorts and boxers. I dropped them to the floor, grinning eagerly at my aniki.

I held my fingers up to his mouth. He opened his mouth and licked my fingers teasingly, keeping his sharingan eyes upon mine the whole time. I had to force my eyes from drifting closed in pleasure. I _had_ to be dominant tonight!

He sensed my stubbornness, and took my fingers into his mouth, running his tongue around them to get them fully coated. He sucked gently on them; just enough to arouse me that little bit more.

Feeling lust overcome me, I realised I couldn't wait any longer. I removed my fingers from Itachi's hot mouth, and positioned myself so that I was lying, chest to chest with my aniki, looking down into his crimson eyes. He looked so worried, that it almost broke my thumping heart. I leant down to kiss him lovingly.

"Don't worry. _Relax._ I won't hurt you, and I'll be careful. I promise." I whispered, bringing my hand down to in between his legs.

Slowly, I pushed a finger into his entrance. He wriggled in discomfort, but forced himself to relax around me.

I moved my finger around in the warmth of his tight passage, hoping to find his spot.

He moaned loudly, and I smirked, glad at pleasuring him so quickly. _So far, so good._

I pulled my digits out completely and inserted two at the same time. I scissored my fingers within him, stretching the walls.

I looked up at my nii-san's face; he was slowly adjusting to me being inside him.

"Take...me..._now_!" He panted, putting his hands on my shoulders and urging me up.

I gladly retracted my fingers from him, and positioned my dripping cock at his entrance. Seeing the lust in Itachi's eyes, I slowly pushed myself into him.

He hissed in pain, tossing his head to the side. His raven black hair was plastered to his face as he clenched the sheets with his hands. I knew the burning sensation that was searing through him, and felt sympathetic. Maybe I should stop? I've only ever had sex once, and I was _Uke._ I'm inexperienced and clumsy…Panic built up within me.

What if I hurt him- I was hurting him. Oh kami, no. I can't hurt him!

Itachi felt me stop moving altogether, and turned his head to look down at me.

"Don't worry." He panted. "It's not that bad. You're doing fine." He assured me, placing his hand on my hot back.

I hesitated still, as the reassurance slowly sunk in, giving me a newfound confidence in myself. I paused though, wondering if he was ready.

He tilted my chin up with his fingers so that he was looking directly at me.

"_Move_." He whispered, gripping my shoulders tightly with his hands.

"H-hai." I pulled almost all the way out, and thrust back in.

I smirked when he moaned in pleasure, and I knew I had hit gold on the first push. I made a mental note of the angle, and rammed back in. A light film of sweat was covering our bodies, adding to the intensifying feeling that making love gives you, of melting together. My breathing was incredibly heavy and I groaned loudly as I continued to push into my nii-san.

I was relieved that I was doing everything right. Glancing down at Itachi, I took in his appearance. Even covered in sweat and red cheeked- he still looked amazing. My eyes trailed down his muscular chest, followed by my hand. Realising that I'd been neglecting a certain part of him, I curled my hand around his length, tracing lazy circles around the tip with my thumb. A low hiss of pleasure escaped Itachi's lips, and I smirked, not looking up. Pumping him gently in time to my thrusts, I felt myself reaching the top of the pleasure, the swirling burning inside my stomach that meant I was so close to release.

Ramming back in once more, I felt the burning explode within me, and I came inside of Itachi, throwing my head back in ecstasy. I felt Itachi's strong hands bury themselves in my hair, urging me not to leave until he released too. As if I'd ever do that! I continued to push into him, riding out the white-hot feeling of my orgasm as long as I could. Itachi's hips bucked upwards, and he arched his back, muscles clenching around me. Letting a loud moan rip it's way through his throat, his hands tightened around the black spikes of my hair, coming inside of me.

We lay still for a moment; eyes clenched shut tightly, breath shallow and raspy.

I waited for my hot body temperature to gradually fade to normal. Cheeks flushed, I slipped out of my older brother, and slumped beside him in the bed.

Almost drifting off to sleep, I feel a heavy arm wrap around me, and tug me closer to my nii-san. Smiling contently, I snuggle up to him, head resting on his chest.

"You're not half-bad, Otouto." Itachi smiled, pulling the covers up over us.

Relief washed over me. I pleasured him! Thank Kami! I'm able to do it- I can be seme! Eagerly, I raised my head to smile at him.

"So I can be seme sometimes, too?" I exclaimed.

Itachi snorted.

"Special occasions _only_." He stated, hands playing with my hair.

I pouted. Hmph. I pondered this for a minute. Actually, being on bottom wasn't so bad. I could live with it.

Grinning widely, I let exhaustion overcome me, and fell into a relaxed and happy sleep.

* * *

**Woah. Reviews, please? Did everyone hate the Uke/Seme switch as much as I fear? o.o Sorry if you did- it was an idea that wouldn't leave my head until I got it down ¬.¬ 3**


	10. Ten: There's a Reason Privacy Exists

**-Third Person POV-**

Mikoto Uchiha sang softly to herself as she scooped up the clean, folded washing from the basket in the corner of the Uchiha's kitchen. Straightening up, she carried the load to Sasuke's room, where she left Sasuke's clean clothes on the previously made bed. Tutting quietly, she bent down to scoop up some chip wrappers from the floor, and then dropped them into the bin on her way out of the room.

Next, she entered Itachi's room. Normally, she was strictly forbidden (by Itachi, no less) to stay out of her oldest son's room.

He liked his privacy. Rolling her eyes at her indecision to enter, she swiftly swung the door open, and stepped inside.

A breeze of cold air hit her, and she shuddered at the sudden chill. Compared to Sasuke's spotless room, Itachi's room was a mess. Sighing wearily, Mikoto brushed some random items from a chair, and placed Itachi's washing on it. She might as well clean Itachi's room before he got back from his mission tonight.

_"It's just not healthy to live in a room this untidy." _She thought to herself, pushing her sleeves up to past her elbows.

About forty-five minutes later, Mikoto had set all the random bits and bobs that had littered her son's floor into piles. One pile for the closet, one of dirty clothes, one of rubbish, and one of things to put away in the drawers. Hanging the clothes up in the closet, and neatly re-arranging them into a more suitable order, she stood back, and let out a puff of breath. This was very tiring work for her, all this housework...

There was still things that had to be put away. Getting down onto her knees next to Itachi's bedside table, Mikoto pulled open the top drawer.

In here, she'd put personal things, she had decided.

Grabbing handfuls of the random items that were already filling the drawer, she carefully set them aside to make room. There was so much stuff in one tiny drawer! It was ridiculous, the woman thought, reaching to the back of the drawer, hand searching for anything else.

A frown crossed her features when her fingers drew forwards a small tub. Pulling the white tub into her view, she rotated the container until she could see the orange and black label plastered onto the front. She almost fell backwards in shock.

_"Lube? ANAL lube? Ita- Itachi... is... gay?" _The woman thought, with shaking hands. She slowly placed the tub of lubrication back into the oak drawer.

No longer bothered about cleaning her son's room, she simply dumped the rest of the stuff back in the drawer, slamming it.

The prodigy, of the Uchiha clan. The son whose children were the most anticipated, the man whose children would be almighty Uchihas. The son who HAD to have children, for the sake of passing down his marvellous genes. _Damn._ How could she not have guessed it? Sussed it out? A stab of guilt hit her when she remembered that this was Itachi- he had no desire to share his secrets with his mother- nor anyone else he knew.

Straightening up, Mikoto smoothed out the creases from her apron, and picked up the pile of dirty washing from the floor. It was as if her body was working on it's own accord, Mikoto was on auto-pilot.

Of course, she wasn't homophobic. She just... it was just... odd, to think that Itachi was never going to have a girlfriend, or give Mikoto the pleasure of grandchildren. She was very nervous of her husbands reaction. He had always believed in hetrosexuality being very important when it came to the Uchiha clan. Reproducing ingenious young was the only thing that mattered to Fugaku Uchiha. The pride of the clan.

He would surely kill Itachi if he found out his son was into.. other men.

Shuffling into the kitchen, this one thought spinning through her head, the woman flung the dirty clothes into the wash basket, and sat herself down in the living room. Sitting upright in her chair, unwilling to relax until someone else came home, she watched the seconds tick by on the clock on the wall. She would, of course, have to have a "sex talk" with her son, now that she had proof that he was in fact, having sex. Homosexual sex, at that. Rubbing her temples wearily, she combed a hand through her hair, and wondered what she would say to him. Like all parents, she had been dreading this day. The day she would have to explain the birds and the bees. Well... in Itachi's case, only the bees... but still. Chuckling lightly at this thought, a fleeting smile crossed her face, but disappeared when serious reality kicked in.

Almost an hour later, Mikoto heard the familiar click of the lock from the front door. She listened to the shuffling of footsteps as the person entered the living room. Turning her head, Mikoto saw Itachi standing in the doorway, sharingan eyes flaring.

She frowned, forehead creased in confusion. Why was his sharingan showing?

"Itachi." She greeted, forcing a relaxed smile.

He nodded simply in greeting, walking over to the chair opposite Mikoto, before seating himself in it. Sitting back in the overstuffed green armchair, he rested his chin on his hand, and stared at her expectantly. His sharingan never disappeared.

"Your eyes? Why are you using the Sharingan?" Mikoto questioned, brushing a few strands of raven hair out of her eyes.

Itachi blinked once, and when his eyes re-opened, the Sharingan had dissolved away, his onyx eyes re-appearing, cold as ever.

Waving a hand dismissively, he shifted in his chair.

"I sensed discomfort and uneasiness when I entered the house. I was worried something bad had happened. I was just making sure I was onguard. Besides. I see now, you want to talk to me. It's important." He stated, examining his nails.

Mikoto's turn to shift, but uncomfortably.

"I-" She sighed, not sure how to admit to her son that she had, in effect, snooped around his room. "I was cleaning your room, and I found the anal lubrication in your bedside table drawer."

Itachi's head snapped up, eyes burning into his mothers. A look that was a cross between shock and horror was plastered onto his handsome features, his hand clenched into a tight fist.

"You what?"

Mikoto gulped audibly. This was going to be tough.

"I found the lubrication. Itachi, I know that you're gay." She nervously wrung her hands together, awaiting another reaction.

Silence for a few minutes.

"Do you mind?" Itachi hissed, eyes trained on the floor, dark eyelashes blocking the orbs from his mother's view.

Mikoto thought for a moment.

"No. But your father might. We can't tell him. He won't like it- at all." She explained sadly, twisting a strand of hair around a slender finger.

Itachi nodded emotionlessly.

"That bastard wouldn't, would he?" He growled, clenching his fists so hard that his nails pierced the skin and drew blood.

Huffing angrily, Mikoto threw herself up from her chair, and marched over to her eldest son.

Before his reflexes could kick in, she had taken his chin in her hand, and held on tightly. She brought his head up and forced him to look into her eyes. She watched, breathing heavily from fury, as the blood red sharingan leaked into the iris of her son's eyes, the small apostrophe shaped black marks swirling into place. Clenching her jaw, she put her face close to his.

"I've told you before. Never. Speak. Of. Your. Father. That. Way." She warned, wrenching her hand away.

She pulled back from Itachi, whose own anger was flashing dangerously in the scarlet eyes.

She looked down at him.

"I've accepted you. But I fear he might not. Don't tell Sasuke, either. I don't want him turning against you. Nor do I want two sons incapable of providing me with grandchildren. Do not take offence, I love you for who you are, but do not- influence him. At all. Try to stay away from him for a while..." She whispered sadly, barely audible.

Turning her back on her son, she started towards the door.

Stopping at the exit, she turned her head to look back at Itachi, whose furious gaze still was locked upon the wooden floorboards.

"Itachi, who is it that you... are seeing?" She had to know the answer, for some reason she couldn't understand.

Despite having just viciously cut her son with her words, her motherly instinct was slowly drifting up, and she had to know if Itachi was safe.

Itachi let out a low grumble. He couldn't believe she'd dare ask such a personal question after.. _threatening_ him!

Who the hell did she think she was? Warning him to stay away from Sasuke! As if! When she had first confronted him, Itachi was so, so worried. What if she found out about Sasuke and him? Homosexuality was one thing, but incest... that was on a whole other level. Completely. He almost ran out of the room, as he was struggling so much to come up with an answer.

"I... can't tell you." He stood up at walked up to his mother, whose brow was furrowed in confusion and hurt, at rejection.

When he was standing next to her, he didn't turn to look at her, but said:

"And I'm not fucking staying away from Sasuke." He growled, harshly.

He left his mother standing silently in the room, eyes watering with worry and confusion. When did she fall so far away from her kids?

They had both grown up so fast. Sasuke had a girlfriend- she smiled at this thought- and Itachi had a... _boy_friend.

Yet neither would let slip a single answer. Mikoto bit her lip anxiously, thoughts of bad things immediately flying into her mind.

Shaking her head to clear it, she blocked out any negative thoughts, and left the room, to finish her chores.

She just hoped both her children weren't doing anything she didn't approve of.


	11. Eleven: The Only One Who Can Reassure

-Sasuke's POV-

I laughed happily as Itachi nuzzled my neck playfully. For almost an hour, I had been trying to finish my academy homework. However, due to a certain, horny _someone_, I had spent that time being hugged, kissed, nuzzled and groped.

Either Itachi didn't understand the word 'No' or he was letting his recent lack of sex get to him. Well, I was struggling with it all too, but you don't see me constantly molesting him!

Warm lips attached themselves to my neck, sucking hard. I let out a soft moan, my pencil falling from my hand as my grip loosened. I let my eyes flutter closed, and leant backwards into Itachi's embrace. We were both sitting on the living room floor, my homework spread out in front of us. About halfway through my homework session, Itachi had gotten bored of looking at genin battle plans, and instead chose to busy himself with another kind of plan; the previously-futile plans to get into my pants.

Note the key word: _previously._

Now, my own hormones were surging up as well. Itachi chuckled sadistically against my neck when he realised that he finally had my full attention.

Forcing one eye open, I glared at my homework, and groaned loudly. I had to get on with my assignment…but- Itachi's touch just felt so good. _As always._

His skilful hand slipped into my loose black pants, rubbing me gently through the thin fabric of my boxers. He was kneeled down behind me, one hand holding my waist. He was still kissing my neck, enticing moans of pleasure from my lips with the well-placed touches. I reached upwards with my arm, placing one hand on the back of his neck, and pulling him down so his lips would meet mine.

Instantly, his tongue was swiping my bottom lip- a silent plea for entrance. I didn't hesitate in opening my mouth, hungrily deepening the kiss. The hand that had been massaging me pulled out of my trousers, and instead pushed firmly at my chest, effectively pushing me back onto the plush carpet. My older brother then placed his body over mine, so that his muscular chest was pressed against my own.

The kiss continued, our hands entangled in each other's hair, lips working furiously against each other. My blood was raging and my heart was thumping madly. Each time Itachi and I were intimate, the intense feeling never decreased. He always made me feel like this. The simplest of caresses could make my heart jump in my chest.

Suddenly, Itachi drew his tongue from my mouth, and I moaned sadly at the abrupt ending of the kiss. My body ached for more- so I pressed my body up against his, attempting to kiss him. He slowly shook his head, and gave me a look, warning me that he had sensed someone else's presence. I groaned, pouting childishly at being interrupted. Itachi looked so irritated, and I wondered why. I was annoyed that we'd lost a chance to be intimate with each other- but why was he _that_ pissed off?

He hastily clambered off me, leaving me dazed. My cheeks were burning, my heart beating erratically, I'm sure my eyes were glazed over… and to top it off, I had an erection. _Shit._ I activated my own sharingan, and glanced at the front door.

With my incomplete sharingan, I could only just see through the wood of the door, to see that it was my mother walking towards the house, carrying bags of shopping.

I threw Itachi a pleading look. He had his eyes closed, and it looked like he was trying to will his own erection to go away. I would have laughed at this thought, if it weren't for the fact that the danger of the situation had finally pierced its way into my lust-clouded brain. Both Itachi and I were visibly aroused, we were panting, and I had a huge hickey on my neck. (_What is it with him and marking my neck?!_)

"Shit, Itachi!" I caught his attention with the frantic tone of my voice, and his eyes opened. "Throw up a genjutsu or something! Delay her somehow!"

"Like that would work." He murmured, walking over to the door.

With a quick glance at his crotch, I noticed that he wasn't hard anymore.

Well thank god for that! Unfortunately, _I_ wasn't so lucky.

I let out a cry of frustration and hurried to the bathroom.

Locking the door behind me, I quickly stripped and turned the shower on.

I heard the clicking of the door as my mother entered the house. She greeted my brother with a cheery 'Hello' and I rolled my eyes when I heard Itachi's 'Hn' reply. Ah, what a vast vocabulary my older brother has. So creative and imaginative.

I snorted, stepping into the deliberately cold water of the shower.

A few minutes later, I was a lot calmer- both mentally _and physically_. I got dressed and shook the water from my hair. Walking out into the kitchen, I smiled at my mother.

"Hello, dear." She smiled back, reaching up to the top cupboard and putting a jar inside it.

"Hi, mom. How was your day?" I made conversation, even though I was desperate to get out and find Itachi. He seemed to have disappeared from the room.

"Fine, thank you. A little bit boring, it was just the usual. Have you done your homework yet, Sasuke?"

I sighed, and shook my head.

"No, Itachi distracted me." I chuckled, picking up a carton of apple juice and placing it in the fridge.

I frowned when my mother tensed visibly at my answer.

Surely my not completing my homework was not that big of a deal?

My mom turned to look at me, a disapproving look upon her face.

"_Itachi?_" She repeated, a harsh tone of disapproval to her usually soft voice.

"_Yes_?" I heard Itachi grind out, and turned to see him standing next to me.

He had entered so quietly I hadn't even heard his footsteps.

My mother narrowed her eyes at my brother. I looked on in confusion as what seemed to be a silent conversation passed between them. Eventually, my mother opened her mouth to speak.

"What did I tell you not to do, Itachi?" She spat.

I bit my lip nervously. Why was she getting so worked up? It was only homework, and my problem, not hers! Why would she drag Itachi into this?

"And I told you my answer, _mother._" Itachi put a mocking emphasis on the last word. "_No._"

I'd never seen my mother get so silently furious. She slammed the jar of jam she was holding down on the table. It made the wooden surface vibrate, and a bag of vegetables fell to the floor from the movement.

"_Why do you insist on taking him away from me too?!"_ She practically screeched, and I flinched, and automatically moved to hide behind Itachi.

I gripped his black shirt as I used to when I was a child.

"I could ask you exactly the same question." Itachi hissed, glaring at my now livid mother. "Come on, Sasuke. We'll go finish your homework _together_."

"_It's not like he'd want to be around you if he knew the __**truth!**__"_

A shiver of rage ran through Itachi's body. He turned away from my mother, and grabbed my wrist tightly. I tried not to wince from the pain. I knew he wasn't doing it on purpose- he was just angry. I followed him silently as he tugged me out of the kitchen and into the living room. I spared my mother a glance, and saw her staring after me, her expression still angry. Letting go of my wrist when we were out of my mother's sight, Itachi almost _angrily_ took hold of my shoulders roughly, and passionately kissed me.

I was so shocked, yet I kissed back. The sudden kiss ended abruptly after only a few seconds.

"What… why did you do that?" I don't think either of us was sure whether I was asking about the kiss, or the heated argument I had witnessed.

Itachi simply gazed into my eyes for a moment, before averting his own, and pulling away from me.

"Reassuring myself." Was the simple whispered answer I received.

I frowned.

"Reassuring yourself what?"

"That you don't hate me." He murmured sadly, before walking away, leaving me dazed, confused and with the horrible feeling in my gut that something was horribly wrong.


	12. Twelve: Broken This Fragile Thing Now

**I'll Kiss Your Lips Again – Chapter 12**

"Sasuke, Itachi." My mother nodded stiffly in greeting to us.

I nodded back, a tiny smile tugging weakly at the corners of my lips. Itachi simply looked away, avoiding eye contact. I had no idea what was going on between them.. I hadn't spoken to Itachi since last night. We'd both just gone to bed, neither of us knowing what to say to the other. I hadn't gotten much sleep last night; too many thoughts were rushing through my head. Had mom found out about Itachi and me?

Did she _know_? I subconsciously flinched at this thought.

No, I decided. She didn't know. If she did, then she would have screamed at me, too.

What could it be then? They obviously didn't want me to know, whatever it was.

Itachi sat down at his seat at the dinner table. I followed suit, taking my place beside him. My mom served our breakfast, and joined us at the table.

No words were exchanged as we awkwardly ate our oatmeal. I really didn't know what to say. I had no idea what was going on, so I didn't feel like it was my place to comment.

Muttering a quick thanks to my mother, I stood up and collected the dishes. I dumped them in the sink and turned to Itachi. He nodded at me, and I knew he was signalling for me to leave the room and wait for him outside. I frowned. When did I start being a burden again? Nevertheless, I left the room and hovered by the door outside.

I heard hushed conversation, and what sounded like a choked sob.

An apologetic tone was in my mother's voice, and Itachi just sounded as he always did- nonchalant and reserved. A few moments later, Itachi exited the kitchen. He smiled at me, enveloping me in his strong arms. I raised an eyebrow at the sudden display of affection, but hugged him back, enjoying his scent and warmth.

"What was all that about?" I queried, as we walked out into the street.

"She didn't want me spending any time with you." Itachi shrugged, kicking a pebble with his shoe.

"_**WHAT?**_" I screeched. "'The hell? _Why?_"

"It doesn't matter now, little brother. She has apologised."

"So? Why did she say such a thing in the first place?" I demanded, blood boiling.

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, then sighed.

"She found out that I'm gay. She doesn't want me to 'rub off on you'." He explained wearily.

"She's _homophobic_?" I ground out, clenching my fists.

"_No_, she just doesn't want _two_ gay sons."

"How is that any better?" I growled, halting in my steps. "I'm going to tell her!"

Itachi froze, eyes widening.

"You can't tell her about us." He said, grasping my shoulder. "It will cause only trouble."

"I'm not telling her about _us_. I'm going to tell her about my sexuality."

I rolled my eyes, how could he think I was _that_ stupid? Itachi took in my answer, but the look of worry on his face did not cease. His brow furrowed.

"Sasuke, I don't want you to tell her. She'll ask questions. She's not stupid… what if she figures it out?" Itachi explained, clearly exasperated.

I shook my head.

"She won't be able to. I have to tell her the truth about myself, so that she'll be fine with me spending time with you!" I countered, starting walk again.

"Are you _stupid_?" Itachi hissed, and I winced at the tone of the insult.

"No! What's wrong with wanting that?"

"That will make her _stop_ me from seeing you! I just can't have you taken away from me, Sasuke! I can't!" Itachi seemed desperate now- he was almost shaking.

The sight of my brother so worked up, along with the heart-breaking thought that I could ever have Itachi taken away from me, just made something inside of me snap.

I walked up to him, and threw my arms around him. Burying my face in his chest, I felt his arms wrap around my back.

"…Sorry…" My voice was not much more than a whisper.

"What for?" Itachi affectionately nuzzled my neck, kissing it discreetly, to avoid suspicion from the few people around us. We didn't know any of them, but it was still not worth the risk of being seen by anyone, or by family.

Tucking a raven strand behind my ear, I tugged on Itachi's arm and we turned and went home- the light, happy mood from before suddenly lost.

*

**Mikoto Uchiha sighed, downing the contents of her sake cup, before dumping it in the sink next to the other dirty dishes. Fugaku, her husband, was away on a mission, and Sasuke and Itachi had disappeared into Itachi's room.**

**They were spending a lot of time together in the past month, Mikoto noted, a frown on her beautiful face. In fact, she hardly saw either of them. She was reasonably sure that they were okay… but Itachi had his boyfriend, and Sasuke had a girlfriend… were they actually with **_**them**_**, and both **_**pretending**_** that they were with each other, because they thought Mikoto would disapprove of her sons spending time with their "friends"? She dismissed this thought, untying her apron and getting to work on cleaning the kitchen.**

*

-Sasuke's POV-

Itachi and I were lying on his bed, our favourite place. He had his arm around me, and I was resting my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and enjoying his warmth.

The TV was on, but I wasn't watching it. I was watching Itachi- he was reading a book and I loved the serious expression upon his face. It was fun to look as his eyes narrowed at the text whenever he disagreed with a character or behaviour.

We had been like that for at least an hour, and my limbs were stiff from the position. Deciding that I was actually quite bored, I poked Itachi in the ribs. He jumped, and then glared playfully at me. I waited another second before repeating the action. This time, he sighed and put the book down.

"Yes, _little brother_?" He mocked, pulling me closer to him.

I grinned and brought my face close to his. Boldly, I attached my lips to his own and kissed him gently. I felt him smile into the kiss before returning it. The kiss continued, but I soon grew impatient. I hooked my arm around his neck, and pressed him closer to me. His own hands travelled my body, slipping up under my shirt and running over the muscles.

He deepened the kiss, biting my bottom lip gently before slipping his tongue into my mouth. Welcoming his entrance, I massaged his wandering, wet muscle with my own.

I enjoyed the intensity, moaning quietly at the delicious sensation. My hands clutching his shirt desperately, I lay back on the bed and let Itachi straddle me, still carrying on the amazing kiss.

*

**Mikoto frowned, throwing her dirty washcloth into the bin.**

**She could have sworn she just heard a **_**moan**_** coming from Itachi's room. Was he in there with his **_**boyfriend**_**? Mikoto swallowed hard, debating whether or not to pry into her eldest son's private life again. She hadn't been very happy with what she discovered last time. Did she really want to see what was happening now?**

**Another low moan, and her mind was made up. In the back of her mind, she noted that if Itachi was in there with his boyfriend, Sasuke must be somewhere else, away from his older brother's influence. She awkwardly walked up to the door. She paused there, and then walked in.**

*

Itachi's skilful hand had just worked me to my climax. My heart was pounding, my body hot and my blood scorching my veins. Both Itachi's and my breathing was heavy and our faces were bright red. Itachi was above me, holding himself up with one arm, the other was still halfway down my pants. He was resting his forehead against mine, a slight smirk on his lips. I laughed quietly then kissed him roughly.

We lost ourselves in the passionate kiss, and tuned out the rest of the world.

"Oh, my God!" A loud screech of horror caused us both to pull apart, our heads snapped to the door, where my mother was standing, a heartbreaking look of disgust on her face.

_Shit._

I could only panic and push Itachi away from me. He landed on the floor with a dull _thump._ Everything was silent after that. Itachi was watching my mother, waiting for a reaction. I had my eyes on mom, terrified of her now, more than ever. Time slowed down… It just felt like my whole world was about to come crashing down, and I wouldn't survive under the rubble.

She didn't look angry. She looked disgusted, and sad- so, so sad. Her coal black eyes were darting from me to Itachi.

"Mom…" I trailed off, not sure what to say.

"We are sorry." Itachi spoke for me, and despite the direness of the situation, his voice remained monotone.

She was silent for a long minute.

"_Sorry_?" Her voice was thick with disbelief. "You're _sorry?_ What FOR? Committing a crime? _Incest_?" She spat the last word, and I flinched. "Or is it for ruining our family? Wrecking our reputation? Or is it for _just. Being. SICK?_"

I felt my eyes well up with tears. _Shit._ We knew this would happen. How long had Itachi and I thought this relationship could last?

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the door.

"Fuck." Itachi hissed, jumping to his feet.

I scrambled up from the bed and rushed to his side. His sharingan was on, so I immediately activated my own. Our mother had broken down into tears, screaming curse words and obscenities. I saw Itachi slowly pull out a kunai, the metal blade glinting menacingly.

The figure at the door stepped into the light.

I knew we were in deep trouble. _'How long has he been standing there?'_ I distantly wondered, and then decided it didn't matter. I could tell by the livid look on his face that he had heard enough. The sharingan was blazing furiously in his eyes and I had never been so afraid. I was shaking, my eyes so wide that it felt like they were going to stretch right off of my face. I clasped Itachi's shirt, childishly burying my face half in his shirt. He turned his head to look down at me, and gave a slight nod.

I pulled myself together, and tugged away from him. My fingers wrapped around a spare kunai that lay on the floor, and I changed into a battle stance in preparation of the bloody fight that I knew was about to come.

My mother was still sobbing, the sky had grown dark outside, signalling the coming of night. The atmosphere was horrible. I'll never forget how terrible it felt on that night, feeling the bloodlust in the air, from both sides of the coming war.

The moon slid its way out from behind a dark cloud. Eerie moonlight flooded into the room through the half-open window. I bit my lip, drawing blood. I was still quivering like a leaf, and my heart was threatening to burst from my chest. I knew I had a low chance of survival. Even though we were all related, I knew that that didn't matter anymore. Murderous intent was buzzing in the air. The forbidden love of Itachi and I had completely ruined everything for our family. We had crossed the line, and there was no way back. Seconds felt like minutes as my brother and I awaited attack.

A drop of hot, scarlet blood trickled from my lip, and down my chin.

It hit the floor with what seemed like a loud _plop_ against the heavy silence.  
My pierced lip continued to ooze blood, as I had bitten so hard. I could taste it in my mouth, as a mocking preview of what was to come: Bloodshed and pain.

A second drop of my blood hit the floor. The sound rang loud.

Itachi looked up from where his eyes had been trained on the floor.

A gust of wind made the curtain flutter and the window bang shut.

My father stepped into the light.

**------------------------------**

Greetings. ^_^

**How goes it?**

**I know I've just done a multi-update. I think my writing style has actually changed since my last update, though…**

**Anyways. –le Gasp!- They have been discovered! C'mon though, guys. It was going to happen *cries softly*.**

**It's so sad.**

**I do have the plot written out… I'm contemplating changing the ending, but other than that I have it all planned.  
Moving on, any feedback on my writing style, or just the last few chapters in general would be much appreciated. Just drop me a review to tell whether ya love it, or ya hate it! (What is this, a Marmite advert? .)**

**Thanks for reading! R & R! **

**-Love- Connie x**


	13. Thirteen: Let's Enter This Nightmare

A kunai was hurled directly at my neck. My sharingan- although not complete-allowed me to see it, and move myself so that the blade narrowly missed any vital points. The cold metal sliced my skin though, and I winced. I was shocked that my father was actually trying to kill me, but I put it down to spur-of-the-moment rage.

The logical part of my mind insisted that he really was trying to end my life, but I pushed the thought aside.

Itachi's hand moved like lightning and a shuriken was flung at my father. It cut his cheek, and then flew past him into the wooden wall. He hissed in anger, and drew another kunai from his weapons pouch.

"What the hell is wrong with the two of you?" He demanded, eyes narrowed at us and mouth twisted in disgust.

"We're in love. What's wrong with _that_?" Itachi snarled, crouching into a combat position.

I gulped, and then licked the blood away from my lips with a swipe of my tongue. There was a stinging pain in the side of my neck, but I forced myself to ignore it. I could feel the dangerous anger that was rolling off Itachi in waves. I could almost read his mind. He was disgusted that my father dare hurt me. I felt defiant and stubborn. I didn't want Itachi to hurt himself because of a protective urge towards me. I didn't want him doing anything foolish…

But it was too late for such thoughts. He and my father simultaneously lunged at each other, the metal of their blades catching the moonlight and sparkling. The kunai met with a loud clang.

I stood frozen as I watched the battle. I couldn't do anything. They were both far more powerful than I. Even if I could stop the fight, there was nothing I could do to fix the situation. Itachi and I had been discovered. Our parents hated us. Eventually the whole village would hate us. I wanted to scream. I wanted to turn back time so I could kill my feelings for Itachi, and stop this whole thing. I loved my brother so, _so _much. But it was in the wrong way… Or was it really wrong? Was such a powerful, great feeling so _wrong?_ So _disgusting_?

I tore my watering eyes away from the scene that was in front of me. I glanced at my mother. She was cowering in a corner, her tears shining on her face. I knew the same thoughts were racing through her head, except she _did_ think our love was disgusting, a sin.

I shook my head, tears falling from my eyes with the motion.

And without a second thought, I threw myself into the midst of the battle. I stabbed viciously at my father's left shoulder, and then shoved hard against Itachi's chest. They sprung away from each other, and I was left panting in the middle.

I looked at Itachi. He was covered in blood. He had a deep gauge in his right arm, and a thin slice across his cheek. Other than that, there were no visible cuts. I frowned.

"Fugaku!" I heard my mother shriek, followed by urgent footsteps as she rushed to his side.

I squeezed my eyes shut when I realized where all this blood was coming from. I turned my body to my father, and forced my eyes to open, sharingan still present. He was covered in deep cuts, which oozed sticky red liquid. He had a deep scratch in a diagonal line down his chest, which looked disgusting because of the amount of blood seeping from the wound.

The injury looked critical. The kunai that created it had broken through layers of muscle. Blood was trickling from his mouth.

I dropped to my knees, taken over by shock. This shouldn't have been happening. Families don't fight. My fingers went slack around the kunai, and I let it fall to the floor. My father struck my mother with a hard blow, using the back of his hand. She cried out in pain- he didn't hold back this time. She slammed to the floor, fresh tears spilling out of her eyes. Yet again, we were in the same position. I felt a pang to my heart as I watched her cry. I turned pleading eyes to her, begging her to stop this shared suffering.

My heart broke when she returned my gaze, but as a revolted glare. I watched as the anger was newly born inside her. Even if she started to hate my father, she hated Itachi and I more. We would always hold her hate, not him. It was never him, it never would be.

"_Fuck!"_ I screeched, so angry about everything.

I had no idea what to do, what to say.

Itachi was breathing heavily, but not as heavily as my father, who almost looked ready to collapse. I clambered to my feet, and returned to Itachi's side. I heard a whoosh of air, right before a rain of shuriken cut deeply into my back. I fell to the ground, yelling in pain. Itachi appeared instantly by my side, clutching my arm.

"Bastard." He spat, directed at the man who threw the weapons at me. My father replied with a kunai to Itachi's face. My brother deflected it with a kunai of his own, which bounced off and narrowly missed my father's ear.

"How could you do this to us, Sasuke?" My father ground out. I felt sick from the repulsion in his voice.

"I am so sorry, father." I whispered, sick of everything. I was shaking still, leaning on Itachi like he was my only lifeline.

"Don't call me that! You are not my son anymore!" My father yelled, and I let out a loud sob. I was so angry with myself for breaking down, but everything was falling apart.

"Leave, Sasuke." Itachi commanded, but I did not move one inch.

"N-no." I choked out, wiping my tears away with my wrist.

"I said, _leave!_" Itachi's voice was firmer, more urgent now.

"He's not going anywhere." My father growled, taking a step towards the two of us.

Itachi defensively stepped in front of me, guarding me from any attacks.

"No, Itachi. I'm not leaving you here with him. You'll die!" I hissed, pulling a new kunai from my weapons pouch.

"I can take him. I don't want you getting hurt anymore! Just _leave_! Run away! Hide and don't come back until morning!" Itachi ordered, his voice so loud that it hurt my eardrums.

My father let out a harsh laugh.

"Yes, run away, like the disgusting creature you are."

I gaped at my brother, breaking inside at my own father's words. He despised me. How could my parents instantly switch to hating me, from loving me? Where were their maternal and paternal instincts? Gone forever because of who I am and who I fell in love with?

I found myself unable to bear it any longer. I couldn't listen to those words of hatred anymore. I still loved my parents- well, only my mother- I never loved _him._

I braced myself with one hand on Itachi's shoulder, and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

I knew that the sign of love would anger my parents so much more, and when a choking sound came from my mother's direction, I knew that it sickened them, too.

I ignored this. Itachi was the most important person to me right now.

We'd be together after this. Although my life was mostly ruined… actual existence would be completely pointless if I lost Itachi. I couldn't survive without him.

"Don't die." Was all I whispered against his lips.

"_I love you._" He whispered back.

"Disgusting _fags_." My father spat.

"Fuck you." Itachi lightly pushed me away, telling me to leave at that moment. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long," He paused to grab a kunai. "Prepare for defeat, old man."

"You're repulsive." Was my father's only reply. He took another step forward.

I took one last long look at my mother; I knew I was not going to ever return to her presence. I was banished from her, and this house.

"I love you, mom." I stated, and then jumped up onto the window ledge.

She was standing now, and spat on the floor, eyes trained on me.

I pushed open the window and jumped out, unable to bear the hatred any longer. I dropped to the grassy floor, and let my tears streak down my face. I heard clashes of blade on blade behind me, and the cries of pain as flesh was cut into.

I started to run. It was late at night, probably around midnight, actually. I picked up my pace, desperate to get away. The image was imprinted in my mind… the look of _disgust _on my mother's face. My father, I didn't care about. I had never cared for him. But my mother… it was enough to make me wish I hated Itachi. This would never have happened if I had never acted on my feelings. I knew such thoughts were pathetic, though. The past could not be changed, and I needed to focus. Still, I couldn't prevent the rage, directed at myself, that bubbled up inside of me. I sprinted further into the darkness until I was out of the Uchiha compound. Only then did I start to slow down slightly.

I tried not to think of the conflict back at the house, but of course, it was impossible. Someone was going to end up dead. I could only hope it wasn't Itachi… the only person I had left. He wouldn't kill my mother… which meant she would end up telling the whole clan. They would _all _hate Itachi and I. I knew I wouldn't be able to hack that.

"_Fuck._" I whispered to the wind, letting my despair out in one tiny curse word.

Eventually, I came to a halt at the village gates. Suddenly desperate to get out, I sprinted through the wooden gates. I slowly walked on, and then strayed from the path. I charged into the woods, trying to find a decent tree. Once I found one with big enough branches for me to rest on, I pooled chakra at the soles of my feet, and then ran at the sturdy tree trunk. I arrived at my chosen branch in a matter of seconds. My mind was racing. I didn't want to sleep, but I forced my eyes to close. Images of hateful looks passed in front of my eyes. I turned over on the uncomfortable, wooden makeshift bed.

Horrible scenarios of bloodshed and bodies floated through my mind. It took many hours for me to drift to sleep. Even my dreams were plagued with slaughter, but of many, many people.

I didn't anticipate just how accurate my dreams were on that night.


	14. Fourteen: And So It Begins

I awoke an hour or two before sunrise. My back ached from spending the night on a tree branch, but I ignored its protests as I stretched out. I absentmindedly scratched my neck, freezing when my fingers passed over the thick scab that had built up over the deep slice in my neck. The wound caused by my father. Instantly, the whole situation came flooding back to me. _We'd be been caught._ I was all of a sudden reminded that I was on my own. I suddenly craved comfort in the form of Itachi next to me. But he wasn't there, and I felt so vulnerable.

Gulping, I strapped on my weapons pouch, and sprang into the woods. The wind whooshed past my ears, increasing the feeling of emptiness. For some reason, the feeling of dread just kept on intensifying. There was a part of me that was insisting that something a lot worse than I was anticipating was waiting for me.

I hoped my instincts were wrong.

I increased my speed until I reached the gates of Konohagakure.

I didn't want to enter. It was as if some invisible force had taken over my body, and halted my step, forbidding me from entry. It pressed against my body, insisting on protecting me from whatever lay beyond the tall wooden gates.

An image of Itachi, bleeding and broken, forced itself into my mind. Immediately, this image conjured up thousands more, of massacre and bloodshed- my nightmares were floating to the front of my mind. The disturbing thoughts pierced through my numbness, though, meaning that my body regained normality, and I exhaled deeply, stepping through the gates.

Foreboding washed over me. My stomach was flipping wildly, twisting and turning. Everyone was still in bed- the sun hadn't even risen yet- all curtains were shut, and lights were off. The city was dark, and the lack of light intensified my dread. I couldn't understand why I was so scared- everything here seemed normal.

I put my fear down to the situation- going back to face my mother was going to be hard. Yet, I couldn't leave without Itachi by my side, and knew I had to return for him.

I sprinted as fast as I could to the Uchiha compound. _Best get this over with as soon as possible,_ was my new attitude to my coming confrontation.

For some reason, it seemed so much darker in my clan's area of town. Maybe it was just the building structure… we had much higher buildings than the rest of Konoha's areas…perhaps they were the reason for the heavy shadows that blanketed the thin streets.

Shock hit me hard, when I realised how desolate this part was. Curtains weren't open… but splatters of an unidentifiable dark liquid were stained into the fabric in the windows, in almost every house. Lanterns and stall covers were slashed, violently ripped in two… shuriken and kunai were embedded in every hard surface… walls, rock, and barrels. What had happened? Then I felt the warm liquid soaking through the material of my sandals.

I physically felt my eyes widen as the liquid bubbled in my shoes, against the soles of my feet. Something in me just snapped, and I instantly started to tremble. I reached down into my kunai pouch, and wrapped shaking fingers around the strong handle of a sharp kunai. I pressed my thumb against the icy cold metal blade, desperately trying to absorb reassurance from the comfort of possessing a weapon.

Crouching down, I gingerly touched the thick red liquid with an outstretched finger. I pulled back, bringing my hand back into the light of a flickering streetlamp.

My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed the orange-red tinge to the dark liquid. Blood. I scrambled backwards, getting to my feet. My throat tightened, chest convulsing madly. My stomach was empty though, and all that rose into my throat was bile, sour and sickening.

Actually looking at the ground properly, this time, I realised that puddles of dark blood surrounded me. It gleamed very gently in the faint light… mocking me with the alarming reality.

_Itachi._

His name echoed through my mind. My head snapped up, and I started to pelt it towards my own home. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly… blood- and I knew it was the blood of my clan's- something just told me it was- was splashing against my lower legs, some warm… some stone cold. If I had been there just minutes earlier… I could have saved my family's lives. I knew it.

"Who could have done this?" I murmured to myself, choking on salty tears that had been streaming from my eyes, for God knows how long.

I had to get to Itachi… and my mother. Whoever had done this… I had to protect the people I cared most about. Had the whole village been slaughtered? Or was it just _my_ clan? I wondered.

I reached my home. It was one of the biggest in the Uchiha compound… my father was basically the respected leader of our whole family. It loomed above me, dark and intimidating. I didn't want to enter. What lay beyond that huge front door? Was it only the body of my father, lying in a pool of his blood, killed for discovering his sons' forbidden love? Or did two more bodies lie beside his, also victims to the same bastard who destroyed my relatives?

I ran at the front door, shoving it open. Silent darkness greeted me. Wind blasted past my body, but I didn't feel its frozen bite… I was already cold, numb and unfeeling. The actual grief hadn't hit me yet… I knew I was on the verge of breaking down; the only thing keeping me standing was pure, sharp fear. I choked down a sob, then turned the corner, headed towards Itachi's room… the room where everything had ended, and where the conflict began. The door had slammed shut at some point, probably from the harsh wind that was rushing through the entire mansion.

Tears flowed from my eyes in a constant stream. I was standing, frozen to the spot, staring up at the huge metal handles of the double doors. My hands trembled by my sides; one was still clinging to the metal kunai, refusing to release what could end up being my only chance of survival. My heart was beating so fast, and I kept retching- my stomach was spinning madly. I couldn't breathe properly as my chest was so fucking tight.

"_Move, Sasuke._" I hissed out, through clenched teeth. "You have to _move_. M-move."

My hands simultaneously wrapped around the brass handle to the room. Gulping, I pulled the door open. Two corpses lay in the centre of the room, drenched in sticky red blood. It pooled around them, a scarlet halo, marking the passing of their souls.

I gagged, kunai dropping from my hands, and hitting the floor with a loud clang.

I could instantly identify the bodies- but, if the clan's killer had struck my close family, where was the third person? Fresh tears spilled from my eyes.

Where was Itachi?


	15. Fifteen: I Need Us To Go Together

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Chapter rating:** T

**!!!MAJOR WARNING!!!- ****This chapter DOES contain SPOILERS from the manga… it goes into detail about why the Uchiha massacre happened. If you are not up to date with the manga, you may want to read this chapter when you are up to date. **

**Otherwise, enjoy! Please, please, **_**please**_**, review! I'm always trying to get better at writing, and any constructive criticism will be very appreciated!**

**Enjoy the chapter. =]**

The room was empty, except for the bodies of my murdered parents. My mother lay half on top of my father, face upwards. Her mouth hung open, twisted- probably in terror. Her onyx orbs were hidden though, whoever killed her had obviously gently closed her eyes, so she looked more peaceful. As if the smallest gesture could make up for what the bastard had done! Rage bubbled inside of me.

My father's jet black eyes were open, glaring coldly at me. Terror shook me as his lifeless eyes blamed me for his death. Was I to blame?

No, I told myself. Even if I was here to put up a fight, I was too weak to survive the wrath of his executioner. I would have died alongside him. Did I deserve that fate? Should I be lying next to him, soul lost to the gods, body broken and limp?

Itachi must have escaped the killer. He was strong, a very able ninja. But where was he? My heart was being cut into ribbons in my chest, by my raw grief.

My mother never deserved to die. She had cared for me, loved me, and protected me- until the last second, the second she thought I had betrayed her trust…

I dropped to my knees beside her body, ignoring the stone cold blood that stained my shorts, and wet my skin. The contrast was horrible. That crimson blood, against my ivory skin. And it was my parents' blood. The life of them, splattered against my living body, in a physical reminder that I was weak and pitiful.

No matter how much I hated my father, and no matter how much my mother hated me, we were still family. I should have been there to fight alongside them- die alongside them.

Sobs shook my body, and I clasped my head in my hands. My legs slid out from underneath me, and I lay on my side, in a pool of my parents' blood.

Suddenly, a cold hand touched my shoulder. I froze, sobs subsiding in my chest. It was over. The killer had me now. I didn't dare look round. I stared straight ahead of me, into the dead eyes of my father. I was still shaking, and my eyes were wide, but I didn't move any further. The killer's hands, probably dripping with the blood of my whole family, brought me up into a sitting position.

Their nose nuzzled my neck, warm breath tickling the skin. I started hyperventilating- what the hell was this bastard going to do to me?

"Little brother…" A low voice breathed.

"Itachi!" My body relaxed, and I turned around, curling up in his arms.

He held me tightly, as I sobbed into his chest.

"They're all dead. Gone forever, Itachi. Dead! And I wasn't even here to help." I choked, my tears falling faster than ever.

"Shh, Sasuke. It's all okay." My brother eventually replied, voice smooth and even.

I paused in my actions, pulling back slightly, to look at his face.

"It's not okay. It's far from okay, Itachi! Our whole _clan!_ They're gone! Who did this? We have to make that bastard pay! Mother! Aunty! Uncle! They're all _gone_! _Who_ ruined our lives, Itachi?!" I screamed, tightening my grip on his shirt.

The fabric of his t-shirt was soaked in blood. I assumed it was from the fight with father… but there was too much for that. The ruby blood coated him from head to toe. It was dried in streaks, across his solemn face…and it caked his arms and hands. His shoes, trousers and hair were dripping with the fluid.

I backed away from him, automatically.

"Why… why are you covered in so much blood?" I stammered, dread re-igniting itself within me once more.

Itachi's eyes were trained on the floor, on the corpses in front of him. I had my back to them, now; I couldn't handle seeing them anymore.

I awaited his answer.

"I…" His voice trailed off.

"No!" I cried, scrambling away from him. "Y-you didn't! You wouldn't do this! No!"

"I thought it was…" His eyes snapped back up to my own. They looked emotionless and empty, although towards the end of his sentence, regret swirled into his dark orbs. "What you wanted."

I screamed in horror, covering my mouth with my hands.

"Oh, my God! N-no! Never! You didn't do this! You can't have! Tell me it wasn't you!" I begged, staggering to my feet.

He rose from his kneeling position, and stared at me, hurt etched onto his face.

I really couldn't believe it. The boy I loved was not capable of this. This was something only a monster would do. What had he done?

"I did it for us." He whispered, and I choked on my own saliva.

"No…" I breathed. "You _murdered_ them?!"

"They would never accept us. They'd look at us with such disgust. I couldn't handle…any more disgust." His voice cracked, and tears started to spill from his eyes.

He looked up at me again, and took a step towards me, an arm outstretched, desperately reaching for me. I couldn't touch him. I backed away.

My heart was being ripped in part. He had hurt me so badly. He was a murderer.

He lied, and tricked me. I loved a monster.

"You bastard!" I screeched, tears pouring down my face.

I scooped up the kunai that I had dropped, and flung it at him. It dug into his shoulder viciously, and he winced. His arm retracted, and his tears ran down his cheeks. No, how _dare _he!

"D-don't cry! What have you got to cry for?! You u-used me, and you _lied_!" I accused, running towards him and throwing a punch at his face.

He took it, and didn't fight back. This angered me, and I threw another punch, harder this time. He still didn't retaliate. I screamed in frustration, and pushed against him with all my strength, but it was no use. I still couldn't hurt him. After all he had done, after all the hurt he caused me… I still couldn't bring myself to hurt him properly. My strength drained away, and I stumbled backwards slightly.

His strong hands caught me before I fell to the floor. He pulled me towards him.

I couldn't fight back; he had too strong a hold on me.

"They were going to destroy the village." He informed me, in a trembling voice.

I shook my head fiercely. There's no way my clan would do that- why would they?

"Even before you fell in love with me," this statement cut into my heart. It was true; I was still in love with him. I was still in love with a murderer, an animal. "They had planned a coup d'etat. They were going to _take over_ Konoha, and _kill_ many people. I was assigned a mission a while ago, to kill our family. I didn't want to, Sasuke, I-"

I shoved firmly against his chest, pushing myself away from him. I was disgusted. I didn't want to hear it anymore. I didn't want the lies, as they just hurt me more.

"You're a fucking liar! How could you hurt me so badly? _You_ were not ordered to do this! You did it because you _never_ loved me! You never cared! Everything was _fake_!" I spat, shaking my head to clear it of the lies.

Itachi winced at my words. Hah, why should he?

"I'm not a liar, Sasuke. I've always loved you. I've always been _in_ love with you. I always _will_ love you. Nothing can change that. I was ordered to do this. I wasn't meant to do it yet. I was meant to wait until I was given the last order."

"Why did you accept the mission then?" I furiously demanded.

"It was either under a hundred lives, or over four thousand. I couldn't let a whole village be destroyed because of our clan's selfish stupidity. Our father planned the whole thing, and everyone related to us was going to help take over the village. The village elders found out somehow, and chose me as an inside spy. I didn't want these orders. I didn't want to hurt you- ever. You have to understand, Sas-"

"_Shut up!_ I'll never believe you! In order to have loved me at all in the first place, you'd have needed a heart! And it's _obvious_ that you're a twisted, evil _bastard_ who doesn't even _have_ a heart!" I screeched, breaking down into tears once more.

"You're right." Itachi's voice was no more that a depressed whisper. "I don't have a heart, because it belongs to you."

I simply stared at him, watching each individual tear drop as hit splattered to the floor.

"You don't love me." I was too weak to make it an accusation. His words were so powerful, with so much emotion, and they were wrecking my mind. I couldn't think straight.

"I always have, and I always will." He promised, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. "You'll always be the only one I want."

"I don't want _you._" I hissed, clenching my fists. "I _hate_ you."

I actually felt my heart break in my chest as I said these words. Deep down inside me, I knew they weren't true, but Itachi didn't know that. I watched as my cruel words scratched their way into his heart, ripping it in two as they clawed their way into him.

He did love me.

And I still loved him.

But what he did was unforgivable. And I would learn. I would learn to hate him.

"You promised." He weakly insisted, tears thickening his voice.

"What?"

"You promised you'd never hate me, no matter what."

I was stunned by his words. He was right. My mind flashed back to that day on the couch, when he had held me in his arms. I remembered the desperation in his voice when he asked me if I would always love him. I remembered the kiss that sealed my promise, deep and loving. My body shook as I realised that I would never feel his embrace ever again, I would never feel his warm kisses or touches, ever again.

"I don't owe you anything." I forced out.

We both knew he was right though. He was watching as my heart broke once more, into tiny, bloody shards. And I knew he was going through exactly the same thing.

And we both knew that my promise would forever remain true. I would always love him, and that would never change, no matter how much he hurt me, no matter how much I wanted to hate him. I think I did hate him. But that hate would _never, ever_ override the powerful love that I felt for him. He was the only person I would ever truly love, but I couldn't actually have him, even though he wanted me back.

I dropped to my knees, breaking down in tears for the umpteenth time that night.

"Just go." I forced out.

"Sasuke- you know I would never lie to you. I am _sorry_."

"I can never forgive you."

"I know. Will you do one last thing for me?" He begged, desperately. And I took one last look at his beautiful face. His eyes held so much pain and heartbreak… I wanted to just throw myself into his arms once more, and forget any of this had ever happened. I could never forgive him, and it killed me to know that.

"I can never do anything for y-" I replied emptily, no emotion left in my voice, but he cut me off.

"Kill me."

"What?" My eyes shot up to his own.

"If you hate me, just kill me. I can't live with knowing you hate me."

I hissed in pain, at the throbbing sting in my heart, that his emotional words caused me.

"Don't do this, Itachi. Don't do this to me. I've suffered enough at your hands, and you can't hurt me anymore. _Don't_ ask this of me." I could barely form a coherent sentence; I was hurting so much inside.

"Even if you didn't hate me, I'd ask you to do it anyway."

"Why?" I demanded, nails digging into the bloodstained floorboards beneath my fingertips.

"I don't deserve to live after what I've done." His voice trembled, but I didn't look up. I didn't flinch, or even make a move.

"Then kill yourself." I forced out, through gritted teeth, although we both knew that his death would break me completely, and I would have no more reason to live.

Even if I couldn't be with him… without his existence, I would have none of my own. If he died, I would too- emotionally- until I could find the courage to kill myself.

He was all I had left to live for… even if I wasn't allowed to have him.

"My death should be by your own hands only. I need you to do this for me. Please, say you will."

I let out a harsh, bitter laugh, collapsing back onto the floorboards, letting the cold blood seep through the fabric of my shirt, and letting it surround me as I lay in it.

"Not today, brother I can't break any more than this. Not now."

"Please-"

"You've had my answer." I cut him off, coldly. I was almost dead inside. I wanted everything to end. I wanted everything to be over. I wanted to feel numb, to just crumble away into the soil, and never exist. Everything would be so much easier if I was dead… "Now leave."

"Not without you." His reply was quick, but heartfelt.

"No, Itachi." I laughed without humour. "We can't be together anymore. Leave."

In a _whoosh_ of wind, he was knelt down beside me. I wasn't startled, and I made no attempt to move away. I knew he wasn't going to hurt me. Not physically, anyway.

His hands shook as they gently cupped my face. He leaned over me, and brought his face close to mine. I studied his beautiful features for a few moments, imprinting the image into my mind, so I would never forget his handsome beauty. He seemed to be doing the same to me. His eyes shone with tears, which were still silently flowing down his cheeks.

And then his lips were softly against mine. They moved slowly, and I just couldn't help myself: I didn't move my hands to touch him, but I kissed back. I felt all of his emotions being poured into the kiss- grief, heartbreak, hurt, regret, and the most powerful; love. He applied more pressure, in a desperate attempt to stop my hatred. But his attempts were futile. Nevertheless, I didn't end the kiss. I let my love and passion towards him grow, along with the hate.

He slipped his tongue into my mouth, but didn't bother starting a fight for dominance; he just explored my whole mouth, running over every inch, caressing my tongue, and probably etching this memory into his heart… our last kiss.

There was nothing rough about the kiss… it was loving and passionate… a contrasting end to the most terrible day and night of my life.

Several minutes later, the kiss ended. My brother, and lover, pulled away and stared into my eyes for a moment or two.

He pressed his lips to mine once more, and whispered against them: "I love you, Sasuke."

I desperately wished that I could return the words, but I just couldn't. Because I hated him, too. I couldn't bring myself to say those words.

Then, he was gone, and my heart was nothing more than bloody ribbons.

It would never heal- I would always be broken, and loved only by one person.

Even though that one person was someone I could never be with.

I pathetically reached out towards my mother's frozen corpse, but it lay too far away from me. My lips were still warm from Itachi's kiss, and I traced them with my fingertips. Exhaustion washed over me, and I shut my eyes, futilely hoping that I would never open them again.

Ooh, feel the angst! Well, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter…

**But it's so saaaad! –Cries-**

**I have to admit, I'm fearing for my life at this moment in time, 'cos I doubt this is how most of you wanted the story to turn out.**

I really can't think of a "Yay-we-are-so-happy-together!" ending for an Uchihacest fan fiction, but be assured; I'm racking my brain for one!

**-Connie x**


	16. Sixteen: My Consolation Prize

**Chapter Sixteen**

**-Five Years Later-**

I skilfully threw a handful of shuriken at the last enemy. The rain ninja let out a groan, and then collapsed to the floor, hitting his head on a rock and losing consciousness. Naruto whizzed past me, a wide grin spread across his face. He crouched down beside the fallen enemy, and effortlessly tossed the heavy form into a net sack. The ninja who attacked us had stood no chance against us. It had taken us all of fifteen minutes to defeat nineteen of them. The rain village had very poor resources though, and a terrible army… so our victory was to be expected.

Naruto and I were on our way back to Konoha, from a mission that we completed in the rain village. We had been sent to get information on the Rain village's army, because we had heard rumours of the rain village preparing for attack against us, and the Sand village.

We hadn't actually found any evidence of militarism, but the ambush that we had just experienced proved that there _was_ something that the rain village didn't want us to know. But, judging by how easily Naruto and I managed to defeat the ninja, it looked like Konohagakure had _nothing_ to worry about in regards to the rain village's war plans.

Naruto tied a knot in the top of the bag holding the unconscious enemy, and slung it over his shoulder. We had to take at least one enemy back as a hostage, to be questioned until the Hokage got some more information on the ninja's attack.

Running a hand through his outrageously spiky blonde hair, Naruto exhaled deeply, then smiled at me, eyes turning into thin slits, giving him a very fox-like look.

"Did you see how I took out that dude with the brown hair, and huge sword? Man, he didn't even see that punch coming, it was so fast!" He chuckled happily.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't get too cocky, dobe. I still defeated more of them that you did." I couldn't resist a tiny jab at my over-confident comrade.

"That is _so_ not true!" Naruto huffed, rising to the bait, just as I knew he would.

"I took out _three_ with one combo, baka. You only managed one at a time- and you could barely keep that up!" I teased, loving the way he got so worked up over little things like this. He didn't realise that I knew exactly which buttons to press to get him wound up. I smirked at the humorous expression upon his face, and continued walking.

I heard a 'thump' as the bag with the enemy in it was dropped to the ground. The unconscious figure trapped inside it let out a small groan, but remained knocked out.

The 'thump' was followed by a whoosh of air, as Naruto ran behind me. I rolled my eyes playfully; I knew what was coming next.

Naruto roughly turned me around, and in a matter of seconds I found myself pinned up against a tree, his body pressing into mine, keeping me in place. Naruto and I had obviously grown a lot since we were genin, although Naruto had definitely almost caught up with me, height-wise. I now stood at only an inch taller than him. But, at this moment in time, despite that height difference, it felt like _Naruto_ was taller than _me._ Of course, my knees were bent slightly because of the awkward position, and Naruto was leaning quite close to me.

"Take it back, Sasuke." He growled. I simply laughed.

"Hmm," I pretended to think about it, raising my eyes to the sky. Then I snapped my gaze back to his. "Nope."

"You should. You know I'm just as good as you at everything. _Better_ at some things." He taunted, pressing harder against me.

"What would those 'some things' be?" I breathed, raising an eyebrow.

"Kissing." Naruto chuckled. I faked a shocked expression.

"Kissing?" I repeated, disbelievingly.

"Mm-hmm." Naruto nodded, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, which I mirrored.

"Okay, if you say so." I shook my head, as if in defeat. I relished the confused expression on his face, as I moved to return to the path. His arm shot out to keep me against the tree trunk. "Fine then." I stopped, smirk still on my lips. "Prove it."

That was all the enticing the impatient idiot needed. He attached his lips to my own, hungrily. My heart fluttered in my chest at the contact. Naruto had confessed his feelings for me about seven months ago. I hadn't actually socialised with anyone… since Itachi… and something about Naruto just made me feel slightly less numb, when I was with him. It wasn't love, for me, at least. I knew that he was in love with me, and although I didn't feel the same way, I had desperately reached out towards the affection and care he was offering me.

It made me feel guilty, to take advantage of someone's feelings, of course it did. But, whenever I saw Naruto, some tiny part of my completely torn up heart, was always temporarily mended. He was like a painkiller, with his cheerful mood, and optimistic attitude. He seemed to force the numbness from my entire being, if only for a while.

I actually think he knew I was taking advantage. He could probably tell that my returned words of love and affection were fake. He already knew of everything that had happened with Itachi… all of it. He must have known that there was only one person I would ever truly love, and he knew that was Itachi.

But still, he loved me anyways, and tried to make me love him. That's what is even more admirable about the dobe- he didn't care that I had been in love with my own brother. He didn't see it as sick, or twisted. Instead, he just accepted it, saying, "You can't help who you fall in love with, eh?"

The kiss ended, and we smiled at each other. Naruto scooped up the bag again, and I collected the rest of our equipment. We exchanged light-hearted conversation until we reached the gates of Konoha.

*

Each time I go through the village gates, it never gets any better. The feeling of dread that I had felt on that fateful night, the nausea, and the trepidation that washed over me. I relive the fear, and the images flash through my mind each time.

Naruto understands, of course, and he never asks why I suddenly become awkward and reluctant each time we near the village walls.

We wearily entered the village, and immediately went straight to the Hokage tower, to take the captured enemy to the Hokage, and also to report our return.

The fifth Hokage, Tsunade, noted down the details of our mission, thanked us, and sent us home with two weeks off, for completing such a strenuous mission.

It was dark when Naruto and I wandered through the streets on our way home. Naruto's apartment was at the other end of the village, to the Uchiha compound, but he still insisted on walking me home every time we spent time together. When we reached my home, he planted a quick kiss on my lips, and hugged me tightly. I awkwardly returned the hug, before saying goodbye, and entering my house.

And then I was alone. It was silent, dark, gloomy and empty, as always. I didn't bother turning the lights on, I knew that being able to see any better wouldn't improve my mood at all.

Why fight off the visions and thoughts that I knew were coming? I might as well embrace the terrible memories and numbness that followed.

This was how it went every time Naruto and I departed. I felt pathetic, knowing that I had to rely on another person for one tiny shred of happiness and normality.

I guess it wasn't even actual happiness; Naruto was just a caring person to distract me from my past.

I dumped my black rucksack onto the floor, and entered the kitchen. I walked to the cupboard and took out a glass. I filled it with tap water, and gulped it down.

My head was banging, and although my stomach was rumbling, I really didn't feel like I could handle food. I simply left the room, and kept walking to the only room I ever spent any real time in any more. Itachi's room.

The door swung open, and the room that I hated and loved most, was revealed. All of his furniture was in exactly the same place, and his clothes were still hung up in his wardrobe, untouched for over four years. They still held his comforting scent, even after all this time.

I think the only differences to the room were that a few piles of my own clothes had been left on the floor, and that a huge deep red rug was positioned on the floor, to hide the worst of the bloodstains. The blood had been almost impossible to get out. It was only with Naruto's help that I managed to get most of them to fade into the wood.

I had to sort all of the furniture out, after that last fatal fight between my parents and my brother. Most of the items in the room had been thrown or destroyed during their battle. I had a small wooden box, coated in red velvet, that I placed all Itachi's most prized possessions in. It was hidden underneath his bed, away from my vision. Spending all of my time in his room, it comforted me, yet at the same time pierced my heart a thousand times over, for each minute that I spent there.

Sometimes I've considered moving away, to a completely different area of Konoha… to just let the almighty Uchiha compound crumble to the ground, to let it be built over, with more houses… for other clans and people of the village.

The council had once or twice tried to persuade me to do just that.

But I refused. I don't know if I believe what Itachi told me, or not. I don't know if the council ordered my brother to kill his own flesh and blood, yet I don't know if he decided to do it himself. And the worst part of that ordeal is, that I don't even know which I'd prefer to believe. I don't suppose it matters anyway. Throughout the day, I've no emotions, except for two: hatred- for one person, and love- for that same person. For Itachi.

I suppose that you could say I love Naruto, in a way. I care for him greatly, but I'm not _in_ love with him.

I've told myself many a time that I don't deserve him, and he doesn't deserve to be used. He knows that too, though, yet he still stays by my side, to be the light in my dark, dark life. I'm grateful, but not in love.

I sighed heavily, and slowly walked over to the large bay window. I pulled the curtains closed, blocking out the beautiful moonlight from the room. Nothing should be beautiful about this room, not after what happened here.

Stumbling blindly through the darkness, I made my way over to the bed.

I stripped down to my boxers, and slid underneath the warm duvet. Despite the thick, cosy quilt that I wrapped myself in, cold still gripped me tightly, preventing any warmth to seep through my veins.

Automatically, as it does every time I lie down in this bed, the last night my parents were alive, the last fight, the last kiss Itachi and I shared… it played out in front of my eyes…

The scene dredged up fear and heartbreak. My pain was renewed, my insecurity reborn. Another day ended for me the same way as always, with grief and sorrow.

I gave in to sleep, and slipped into the dream world, where I am embraced by sounds of screaming and agony, where blood runs down the walls, corpses fall down in front of me, tears are spilt, and Itachi leaves me, again and again.


	17. Seventeen: Like Water on a Stone

**I'll Kiss Your Lips Again – Chapter Seventeen**

_Like Water on a Stone_

**Hello, loves. As this story is nearing its end- (I know; how tragic!) I feel the need to thank you all for all the lovely reviews and support I've received. I've gotten 62 reviews so far, and I know that's not much in comparison to some stories- but I am eternally grateful all the same. Thank you, you wonderful people and your dedication to this story. :)**

**Although I no longer really ship ItaSasu, it's still a firm favourite and I've enjoyed writing this story so much.  
Even though it might not seem like it, I want this story to have a happy ending, and I'm going to do my best to make that work.  
I reckon we have two or three more chapters to go before I'm ready to end this story, but we'll see.  
Thanks again. Onward with the story; (and sorry for the wait!).**

Moonlight streamed in through the open window, pale curtain fluttering in the harsh night winds. I didn't shut the window; the breeze was refreshing. It smothered my body with its icy cold, forcing its way into my lungs. Squeezing my eyes shut, I buried my face in my cold white pillow. I was alone again, and it was becoming suffocating. After each mission, I seemed to feel worse and worse.

I had been awoken, from a sleep plagued with the usual nightmares, by a soft thump. I didn't want to face reality, so I put the sound down to being a figment of my imagination. When the noise was repeated, I cranked one eye open. Glancing round, I saw not a thing in my room. The moon seemed to disappear behind the thick, silver clouds, blanketing my room in shadows once more.  
Another noise, and I activated my Sharingan. My eyesight was only slightly improved.

Then, the bed dipped as weight was added and cold lips were at my ear, whispering gently into it.

"It's been a long time, _little brother_." My heart stopped beating, my insides turning to ice as my temple was softly kissed.

"Itachi." I breathed, stilling in all movement.

Those sinful lips continued down my body, teasingly caressing my jaw line and attacking my neck. Sucking hard, my older brother pulled a sweet moan from my mouth. As if the sound of my pleasure broke the silence, we both stopped moving. Itachi let out a shaky breath, the warmth of it tickling my neck where he had kissed it.

"Who do you believe?" He asked, and my heart gave a painful tug as my mind immediately conjured up the memory of our last kiss. He was talking about the decision I had to make. Did I believe him, or the council of Konoha? Had he been ordered to destroy my family, or was it him alone?

I couldn't answer. I didn't know. I still loved Itachi, just like I knew I always would. I didn't even know if I felt hatred towards him. I felt disgusting; to not hate my family's murderer, but I could not bring myself to fully hate the man I loved.

A pause, and his lips were reattached to my neck again, sucking hungrily at a spot he _knew_ would make me even weaker. He remembered all of my weaknesses, of course he did. Squeezing my eyes shut tightly, I clenched my fists. My blunt nails dug into my palms, breaking the skin, but I ignored the slight pain. Itachi hummed gently, the vibrations increasing the sensation of his mouth at my neck.

"Who do you _want_ to believe?" He murmured, and by the tone of his voice; he was trying so very hard not to break down.

"_You._" I breathed, panting heavily as his lukewarm hand ran down my bare chest.

I knew it was true; in fact, the sincerity that my voice held shook me to the bone. As soon as the word left my lips in the form of a broken gasp, I had known that it was true. I _did_ want to believe Itachi. There was a part of me that craved this attention he was giving me. The touches, the kisses- I had been waiting for so, so long, and finally I was receiving something with meaning behind it. Suddenly, everything I had built up since the massacre just shattered. Those oh-so carefully formed walls I had blocked myself in with, they crumbled beneath Itachi's delicate touch. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing else except the contact between us and the energy buzzing and pulsing in the air.

I was now in a sitting position, Itachi's toned chest pressed against my back. His raven bangs, much longer than they used to be, brushed against my back as he kissed my shoulder.

"Then that's enough," Was his whispered reply.

He pulled me back against him, and then rolled over to let me lie flat on the bed. I still felt frozen inside as I stared up into his onyx orbs, reflections of my own. Pain and confusion was painted across his face as he evenly returned my gaze. He licked his lips absently before pressing them to my own. I kissed back, hesitantly.

My lips moved against his and that seemed to be the reaction he was silently waiting for. Just then, all restraint seemed to break and he pressed down against me with an urgency I could understand. It was a deep kiss, overflowing with the pain and passion that burned in our mouths. Our souls melded together in the hot fire when they slipped through our lips. He was hard against my hipbone as he straddled me quickly. I shivered, body heating up immensely despite the frozen state of my insides.

"Itachi.." I moaned quietly, reaching shaking arms up to hook them around his neck.

Pulling him down closer to me brought our erections into contact with each other. I hissed, my hard length rubbing against his through the thin material of my cotton boxers. Looking deep into eyes as dark as the deepest depth of the oceans, I lost myself in the emotions swimming there. Love, lust, nostalgia and longing. They burned into my soul, burrowing their way deeper into my heart, which ached and convulsed in my chest.

My fingers itched for something to dig into. Suddenly, the need for revenge circled in my chest until it was a swirling ball of fire.

"N-no!" I stammered, taking a firm grip on Itachi's shoulders and attempting to push him off of me. Instead, his lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to anticipate the move, grabbing a hold of my wrists and slamming them back down against the creaking mattress.

"_Don't_." Itachi bit out, and the command was loud in the air but quiet to my ears as the frantic beating of my heart overran his voice.

I struggled momentarily in his strong hold, panting heavily as I stared up into his eyes. Deep inside of me, there was a thrill at being overpowered like this. As if my relationship with Itachi was being renewed. It was taboo, again. I found myself losing to the powerful sensation of feeling wanted. Itachi wanted me and I wanted him. I had nothing else left to live for. I always waited for this day, even though I had always told myself that I didn't. My body craved the contact between us; my soul ached for the feeling of being open.

Releasing a morose sigh of defeat, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. Acceptance won out over denial, in the fierce internal battle taking place in my heart. Closing my common sense off and away from the rest of the world, I let my body welcome Itachi's.

It felt good. I could not deny that, especially as his hand sneaked its way into my boxers to grip my aching erection in a hold that was almost painful. My hands came up to snatch a hold of the black cloak that clung to his muscular frame. In the pale moonlight, I could barely make out the red clouds that made up the pattern of his coat.

"Akat...suki." The word was broken by a heavy moan that slipped through my parted lips.

Itachi stiffened at the name of his organization. I frowned, and he tenderly smoothed out the crease in my brow with the tip of his finger. That same finger caressed my cheek softly as it ran down to my lips, which were wet with saliva. I watched as my brother's own lips tightened into a thin line, eyes becoming distant and almost vacant.

"That doesn't matter." He said- but it did. I opened my mouth to protest but I was silenced by his lips against mine once more.

It was an agonisingly slow kiss; it was intense and inside, I was choking from the thick black smoke that wrapped around my heart, connecting it to Itachi's. I felt in danger, yet at the same time; so, so safe. I could lay in his arms forever and the excitement would never fade and the love would never disappear.

Instinct kicked in, and my grip on the Akatsuki cloak tightened. I wasn't ready for him to leave. Talented lips moved to my neck, searching for my pulse point before attaching themselves to it. My toes curled in pleasure when Itachi sucked hard, the blood in my vein tingling and rising to the surface. When he pulled away, his long fingers came up to caress the mark- which I'm sure was already purpling.  
I moaned softly when his lips found the mark again, teeth grazing over the bruise gently.

Then, as if that passion-filled moan was all the encouragement he needed, his hands were at my waistband, tugging down on the offending garments. My pants were ripped away and thrown haphazardly to the floor, soon followed by the loose blue t-shirt that I wore in bed.

Itachi was biting his lip when I raised my dark eyes to his, which were eagerly roaming over my naked form. Cold hands trailed along my sides, fingertips barely brushing the skin. I lay still, breathing calm but heart shaking in my chest. Watching his own hand, Itachi allowed it to come to a stop over my heart, where it pressed into the burning skin. He could feel how fast it was beating, and from the nostalgic look that burned in his eyes, I knew he missed what we used to have. I smiled weakly, chest rising and falling heavily.

"I still love you." Itachi's voice was pained.

The words hung in the air, leaving a thousand different outcomes just fluttering around us.  
I stiffened and my breathing stopped. I became overcome with fear at what those words would do to me. As if my blood turned to acid in my veins, I felt sick. My eyes widened as I glanced down at our bodies- mine naked and covered in a light sheen of perspiration as it pressed tightly against his. His other hand was gripping my hip and all of a sudden, the hand on my chest burned a hole right through it, piercing my heart and puncturing my lung.

The physical pain that those four, sweet, sweet words brought me- it racketed my body and burrowed its way into my bones. He was waiting for an answer; he was looking for condolence, for words of love and passion.

"But you can't…" I whispered, and my older brother's face contorted in pain.

"That doesn't change anything." He pulled away from me, cold air assaulting my body as soon as we parted. "What the hell can I _do?_ There's nothing I can say, do or think that could possibly make this any better!" I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, his voice tearing into me. "You're fucking _killing_ me, Sasuke!"

"You're a murderer yourself. I always seem to follow in your footsteps, right, brother? Why should this be any different?" I relished the cold tone in my voice. I almost enjoyed seeing him wince, seeing him crumble beneath the finality of my tone. I could enjoy it more if my own heart wasn't turning black in my chest.

He turned away from me, his fiery gaze being ripped from mine. I watched silently as his Akatsuki cloak swirled about him in the wind that raged in through the open window. One swift movement later, and something silver that glinted in the moonlight was tossed to the floor in front of me. It hit the wooden floorboards with a sharp noise that echoed in the night.

"I'll always wait for you." The words sounded forced- as if his throat was thickening with restrained tears- but they rang so true, aching with sincerity and promise.

One last sorrowful look later, and he was gone. The window slammed shut behind him, curtains falling back into place over the glass. I started to hyperventilate, chest tightening and lungs straining to take in even a single gasp of air.

Had I wanted him to leave?

I don't think so. Now that I was alone, my body stung as if a thousand pins had just struck me all over. I wanted to cry but I was too choked up to let out even a sob. Instead, I groaned pitifully and pushed myself up from the bed. With shaking limbs, I bent over and gingerly picked up the unidentifiable object. I stumbled over to the window. Moonlight gently streamed into the room, as it itself was fearful of the bitter and mournful mood that thickened the air, suffocating me.  
I unclenched my fist, which was wrapped tightly around the small item. In the light, I realised that it was a ring. The stone on top was a deep purple, the character for Vermilion etched into the very top. This was the item that symbolized my brother's betrayal. It burned in my fingertips but I clutched it close to my chest.

Grief was a heavy burden on my mind- the grief of losing someone so close to me, yet again. Perhaps it was because I felt like _I _was the betrayer.

Bringing the ring back up into my line of vision, I felt its symbolism poisoning my heart. As if a chemical reaction had taken place, it felt like my whole body went up in flames, and I chucked the ring as hard as I could. It slammed into the wooden wall before dropping onto my bedside table. I collapsed on the floor; curling up into the fetal position and feeling my guilt sink into the floor below me.  
Mocking me cruelly, the ring suddenly fell to the floor with a loud clang that reverberated against the walls. It lay directly in my line of sight, and despite my eyes being clouded by unreleased tears, I swore I could see my brother's reflection deep inside the amethyst centre of the ring.


	18. Eighteen: Take Me Under

**Chapter Eighteen – Take Me Under**

**Warning: Er… Slight incest [Well, if you've read thus far then I doubt that bothers you! xD], a little swearing and a hell-uva lot of angst!**

**Pairing: ItaSasu (Uchihacest)  
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto then Shikamaru would wear stripy pink leather.**

From then on, I was numb. There was no other way to describe it. As if blood in my veins was replaced with liquid nitrogen, its cold spread out through my body- I felt nothing. My mind was blank and my soul was empty. Perhaps, if I was silent and still for long enough; then I could distantly feel the dim but painful throbbing centred in my chest. It was a constant reminder of Itachi's disappearance. In my imagination, his scent still lingered- I clung to the memory of his teasing touches and his flesh against mine. It felt good to pretend again. Sometimes, you had to lie to yourself.

It had only been six days since my encounter with my brother. Since then, I had worried Naruto and my other comrades by disappearing on long missions, desperate to get away from Konoha. No-one understood what I had been through. They didn't know why I was experiencing this relapse. Why my behaviour had suddenly gotten worse- I'd become more withdrawn and reclusive than ever before. It hurt them- it hurt Naruto, at least. I couldn't expect them to soothe this gaping wound that was carved into my chest when I laid eyes on Itachi again. So I pushed them away. They knew what I was doing, I knew what I was doing and no-one dared fight against my wishes. Things were so much easier that way.

I was returning home from a mission, muscles crying for rest and lungs burning from excessive use. I was sure I looked in a right state; my hair was messy and slightly greasy, my skin was mud-streaked and my nails were black underneath from the thick grime forced beneath the tips. My navy shirt was ripped, a large gash beneath the opening, a red and brown slice down the centre of my back. It stung, fluff from the frayed edges of the rip getting caught in the wound as it scabbed over.  
Underneath it all, was the dull pulsating pain in my heart. I ignored it, heading back to my empty apartment to treat my wounds.

At least, I had assumed it would be empty. I let out a sigh of exhaustion as I pushed open my front door. I kicked off my muddy sandals and slowly made my way into my bedroom. My Sharingan was automatically activated when I spotted a dark figure sitting lying quietly on my bed.

_Itachi?_

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes adjusted to the heavy darkness. No, I could just make out the orange of a very recognisable jumpsuit. Naruto.

"Why are you hiding?" His voice was stiff with an unidentifiable emotion.

I swallowed. I knew what he meant; but how did I answer? Forcing a humourless chuckle, I sat down on the edge of my bed, fingers digging into the black comforter.

"Says the one lying on my bed in the _dark_." I replied.

"You _know_ what I mean." The bed creaked as he shifted onto his side to look at me. He cocked his head to one side, slightly, dark blue eyes taking in my dishevelled appearance. "You need to take a break."

"Missions are a break to me."  
Naruto snorted at my answer, rolling his eyes and clambering up from the bed.  
"Why are you being weird?" He asked, running a hand through golden spikes.

"I'm not." I grit my teeth and moved my hands to pull off my t-shirt. The gash on my back stung as the little fibres were ripped away from the scab. I winced, silently, chucking the t-shirt into a corner of the room.

"Then why the fuck won't you give me honest answers?"

His tone was angry now, and it dragged my own temper up with it. Bubbles of rage made their way up my throat until my tongue was burning with the acid of my inner feelings.

"If you don't like it, then why the fuck don't you leave me alone?" I yelled, eyes narrowed dangerously as they followed Naruto's small movements. The way his fists were clenched at his side, the way his eyes flashed threateningly. And the way his lips curled back into a snarl as he spat his next words.

"I don't even know you anymore, Sasuke." There was a hint of sadness there, but it was just the fuel to my fire. How dare he be angry? How dare he _assume_ he understood what I was going through?

"Don't fool yourself into believing you ever knew me in the first place, _Naruto._" His name burnt as it rolled off of my tongue.

Looking like he was fighting back angry tears, his eyes dashed from side to side wildly as he searched my eyes for some reassurance. Some apology, regret, guilt- anything so long as it repaired the pain I just gave him. He found nothing. My eyes were cold, reflective of the icy hollow that was my heart and soul.

"Fuck you."

He stormed out, my eyes calmly following the movement. It was better off this way.

My limbs were suddenly screaming for the comfortable ache of fatigue. My chest hurt and my lungs begged me for the fire that came from too much use.  
I did what I was best at- I turned on my heel, slipping on my discarded shirt and shoes on the way, and I threw myself out of my house.

I ran.

I ran away- like I always did. It was the source of, and the solution to my problems. It felt good to feel myself being stripped bare of emotion as I sprinted through the forest, past the gates of Konoha and into the wild. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, endorphins and oxygen being frantically pumped around my body. It was as if the wind that rushed so fast past me was pulling away the layers I built up around myself. When I ran, I felt real. I felt true and honest with all around me. I felt vulnerable, but comfortable. I felt like crying and letting out a maniacal laugh at the same time. Conflicting emotions that burned through my flesh and made me feel _alive._

I slowed to a halt, heart pounding fast enough in my chest to make me cry out in pain. I was in a small clearing- a tiny area that, despite being painted with moonlight, was still swallowed by the dark danger of the night.

Something did not feel right. Something did not feel right at all.

My uncanny sense of danger was pulsing in the back of my mind, alerting me of hazard. I could feel it was too late to run away. There was a tug in my chest that told me I had run into someone's arms, practically. I had been drawn to this clearing by some unseen force. I had never even been here before, had never known of this secluded area in the woodland.

It was as if a rope attached to my heart had been pulled on until my all-too-eager feet had carried me here. Even though I had stopped moving, my heartbeat was not calming down. It was still like loud, rhythmic music in my ears. Spinning in a circle, everything looked so surreal. The trees were coated with an inky darkness, there were no twinkling stars in the sky above me, and glowing, yellow animal eyes peered out at me through the thick undergrowth.

I started hyperventilating.

Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling over and trickling down my burning, flushed cheeks.  
Who was here? Who brought me to this place?

I was so far away from Konoha. If I screamed, no-one would hear. I had no weapons with me- the number one rule on the ninja "_don't"_ list. I didn't know where I was. Apparently, giving up on your sense of direction- whilst running- is not a healthy thing for a person to do.  
Maybe I was overreacting. Perhaps I was safe and it wasn't some trap that I had so foolishly been lured into- but something told me I wasn't. It was a nagging sensation, niggling at the back of my mind. It was going against instinct to ignore it.

Swallowing the huge lump in my throat- a build up of tears and shock- I exhaled deeply.

"Who's there?"

No answer, just the rustling of leaves as my voice scared away the bushes' animal inhabitants. The yellow eyes disappeared from my sight, and I was grateful for that. Although not on the top of my priorities' list, an encounter with some savage animal was not something I particularly wanted to experience at that moment in time.

Desperately, I tried to calm my frazzled nerves. My body was tingling with the sense of impending danger, but I pushed that to one side. With a flick of my wrist, I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. I moved the same hand upwards to run it through the raven spikes of my hair. My fingertips barely touched the static hairs when my wrist was caught in a vice-like grip. I gasped, frozen in place.

My ninja reflexes failed me once again. My heart stopped in my chest- there was only one person who could sneak up on me so well, and only one who could possibly have led me here.

"You're not coping so well without me, are you, little brother?" His voice carried a touch of amusement as his words hung heavily in the air.

A cold, cold hand gently massaged the back of my neck. I was so damn defenceless that I wanted to cry again.

"Fuck…" I murmured, but the winds that howled around us managed to carry my curse word to his ears.

"No, it seems that's _not_ what you want from me, Sasuke." Smooth, was his reply. The arctic-cold hand, that wasn't holding my wrist, slid over my shoulder where it slipped underneath the collar of my shirt.

Goosebumps rose on my skin beneath his deliberately slow touch. My breath caught in my throat, which was increasingly quickly being thickened by tears. _Damnit. _I was so angry at myself for being so emotional. I tried to put an end to the torrents of tears, but they relentlessly kept forming and flooding down my cheeks. Itachi's hand trailed up my neck, tears probably dropping onto the smooth, icy skin. His movements stilled, fingers brushing against my right cheek to sweep the tears away.

I still hadn't seen his face but I don't think I would have been able to stop myself from breaking down, if I did. Keeping his hand wrapped around my wrist, he moved it down until it was pressed flush against the front of my body. He cradled my hand there, feeling me shaking in his firm- but not painful- grip.

Every action, no matter how small, was slow and deliberate. As if he was gauging my reaction, he paused between each movement. He wasn't pressing me, he was _waiting._ He knew I was burning up inside- a frozen, chilling burn. I could feel his intense, powerful gaze burning into the back of my skull. He was reading my mind against my will. He always could. My blood was his blood and our hearts and minds were connected. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to that place. Perhaps I sensed his presence there, and my body reflexively carried itself towards what it needed.

He was a drug and I had experienced disgustingly powerful withdrawal symptoms when he ripped himself from my life.

"You don't understand, Sasuke."

His voice was soft, alluring and soothing. It seeped through my skin and it melded my broken pieces back together. No matter how _good_ it felt to hear his voice, to feel it in such a way- he was wrong. Oh, he was completely mistaken. I understood- I understood so well that it actually hurt. To fight against an urge so powerful was pathetic, but it took courage. I was so hopelessly wrestling with the longing I felt for Itachi's presence, for his love towards me. For a while, I had been winning.  
It was like a brutal smack in the face to know that all it took was one visit from him to screw me up entirely. I had been brave, and I still was. I was still biting back the need to throw my arms around his neck and pull him as close to me as was physically possible.

"Let go of me."I bit out, closing my eyes.

His grip never loosened. That drifting hand glided over to my neck, tracing the heated skin at the top of my spine. I felt him move slightly, his raven bangs caressing the skin of my shoulder. Then, he pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck. I shivered at the sensation of his lips against an area that I was sensitive in.  
When he pulled away, his hand replaced his lips. He ever so slightly dug his fingertips into my skin, in a rough sort of massage.

I wished that I could relax at the touch, but instead, I tensed up even more. There was a rustle of cloth, and his hand traced my jaw line gently. Still from behind me, his slender fingers cupped my chin, and his fingertips pressed against my lips. There was something between the soft pads and my lips, but before I could realise this, his fingers thrust forwards into my mouth. Whatever it was he was previously holding to my lips, was then in my actual mouth. The action was so sudden that I swallowed the object.

My eyes grew wide as I swallowed frantically, automatically.

"A tablet?" I choked out, as more saliva helped shift the object from where it was getting stuck in my throat.

I could feel it as it slid down my oesophagus and into my stomach. At least, it felt like I could. All of a sudden, I felt queasy; my stomach was bubbling unnaturally quickly as the contents of the capsule I had swallowed were released into the hydrochloric acid. I groaned, ripping my hands away from Itachi's sudden grip, and clutching at my stomach.

Throat tightening and eyes growing heavy, I peered up at Itachi through my bangs. My knees gave way and I fell to the floor, only to be caught in Itachi's strong grasp. He watched me suffer with a blank face.  
His hand gently swept my bangs out of my closed eyes.

It was the last thing I felt before I fell unconscious.

I awoke in a dimly-lit room. I was gracelessly spread out on a large bed, covers strewn across my deadweight body. It was small and box-shaped, and I didn't recognise it at all. It took a few minutes for the seriousness of my situation to pierce through the cloudy haze that sleep left me with. When it did, I rolled over, pushing myself from the bed with a little more force than necessary. I fell forwards, arms wind-milling around me as I hysterically tried to regain my balance. It was no use- I was still disorientated from sleep's heavy grip.

I stumbled once or twice before collapsing onto the cold wooden floor. It felt almost damp beneath me, but I was sure that was just due to the low temperature in the room. I searched the room with my eyes, half-heartedly checking out my surroundings.

The last thing I remembered before I fell asleep was Itachi, his touches, and the medicine he made me swallow. Upon waking up, a headache had my head throbbing but physically, all else felt okay.  
What was _not_ okay was the fear that built up within me. I sat quietly on the floor, staring up at the large oak door, which seemed to loom over me.

Heart beating rapidly in my chest, I got to my feet. My head spun for a few seconds due to the change in altitude, but the sensation eventually dissipated. I was wearing a pair of black slacks that were too long for me, pooling at my feet as I walked.

My fingers wrapped around the cold doorknob, and I twisted it roughly to the side. The door didn't budge. I tried pushing it instead of pulling, but the door remained motionless. I grit my teeth in frustration, turning the handle the opposite way. No movement. I tried again, several more times- only receiving the same result.

I cried out in frustration. I was trapped. Clambering over to the bed, I fell back onto it, cocooning myself in the rumpled blankets once more. I buried my face in the itchy fabric, willing this reality away. I wished that I could fool myself into thinking it was a dream, but I knew it wasn't.

There was nothing left to do except sit back, and await the arrival of my older brother- just like every other day I lived without him.

**There's chapter eighteen for you!  
As I have already mentioned, the story is quickly nearing its end. I anticipate it lasting another two or three chapters; ending on chapter twenty or twenty-one. Anyway, we will see. The story always ends up writing itself anyway, of course!  
Thanks again for all the wonderful support you all give me. I appreciate it. ******

**-Much love and please R&R, Connie. X x**


	19. Nineteen: Finding Each Other Again

**Chapter Nineteen – Finding Each Other Again**

I know, I know. I suck. D: You want to hurt me now, right? This story has been going on for like, two freakin' years! And it's still not done! I fail majorly at updating. I'm so, so sorry. Words can't describe how shitty a writer I feel for letting you down like this. I know this story isn't the most popular, but that's okay, because you guys are awesome. ^__^ Which makes it worse that I can't update regularly. Anyway, there's a lemon in this chapter—perhaps it can make up for my epic-failure?

I hope so. Thanks for all the amazing support, guys. You're brilliant.  
- Connie  
X x

**Warning: Uchihacest, lemon, yaoi and damn angst.**

-Insert generic disclaimer here-.  
-------------

I drifted in and out of consciousness; giving in to the seductive lull of sleep and then waking to battle violently against it. I felt so tired, no matter how long I rested for. It must have been a side-effect of the capsule Itachi drugged me with. For some reason, I wasn't angry at my older brother. Taking me back to- wherever this place was- against my will… I should have been furious with him for his actions. Instead, I was desperate to understand what he wanted me for.  
Lying still in the dark room, body twisted in the blankets, I stared blankly at the plain walls. The shadows played tricks on me, shapes forming and warping before my straining eyes. Just moments before I was about to fall prey to sleep's harsh clutches once more, the door swung open. Light poured in from outside, the silhouette of a tall figure appearing in the narrow doorway. Itachi.

His footsteps echoed in the room as he entered, the door slamming shut behind him with a loud bang. Stopping, he pressed a palm to the wall and suddenly, light flooded the previously dimly-lit room also. My eyes adjusted almost instantly, heart-rate increasing likewise. He was here- I had been waiting, and now he was with me again. Relief and fear battled against each other in my chest, a sickening swirl of emotion leaving me feeling dizzy and disorientated even further.

Dark eyes wandering over my frail-looking frame, he took a seat beside me on the bed.

"Itachi…" His name left my lips in the form of a quiet gasp without my consent.

An almost-dangerous look swept onto his face before his lips crashed into mine. My cry of pain as our teeth clanked together was muffled by his mouth, swallowing each noise I made. Overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, I groaned and turned my head away from his, disconnecting our mouths. Itachi bristled angrily- I could feel his body stiffen against mine as he pressed down against me.

A forefinger and thumb clutched my chin hard, snapping my head back to its previous position. A growl escaped his lips and I stared up at him with wide, black eyes- vulnerable like a rabbit caught at the throat by the large paw of a hungry wolf. Perhaps that was all I ever was to him. He was panting, his rapid breaths brushing over my flushed cheeks. My own breathing was in a similar state- my lungs aching with each rise and fall of my chest.

His lips met mine, but the kiss was a lot gentler- tender- an apology for the harshness of the last one.  
Hesitantly, I returned the kiss. The pace was a lot slower, but it was better that way, more powerful.  
Gradually pulling away, Itachi peered down at me with a calculating expression on his face.

"I'm giving you a choice," He breathed, and I shuddered at the tone of his voice. I gasped sharply, my booming heartbeat loud in my ears. "Come with me- and I'll break your loneliness, end the sorrow and together, we can make everything better again." 

There was a certain strength to his words, a confidence I could not even begin to fathom. How could he be so sure? My heart ached for my mind to accept his proposition, to accept the _security_ he was willing to provide me with. Although the more logical part of me struggled to believe that this emptiness constantly welling up inside of me could so simply be healed by Itachi's presence, I longed for that feeling of normality, of actual _feeling_. I craved it.

"Or, you could stay in Konoha- and I will never come back to you, if that is what you wish."

My blood ran cold as my mind processed the second half of his question. _No…_ My fingers- curled loosely in the material of his black cotton shirt- tightened, gripping him close to me.

"Don't go." My voice was thick, throat choked up with tears, which I hadn't even realised were streaming down my cheeks.

"That's what you want?" He nuzzled the lobe of my ear with his nose.

"Never leave me," My breaths were shaky as I slowly drew them in. "And never let me leave you."

Letting my head drop forwards, I pressed my face into his chest, feeling the warmth seeping through and gently caressing my skin through the thin material. Ever so gently, I was lowered back down onto the bed, my older brother's hard body pressed against mine.

Nothing else needed to be said; I could feel his relief, his emotion pouring into my body when our lips met in another heartbreakingly soulful kiss. There was so much familiarity in it, in the way his large, hot hand cupped my cheek and stroked a calloused thumb along the skin. In the way his other hand threaded itself into my black, spiky hair, tugging soothingly every so often. When his warm, wet tongue traced the seam of my lips, I was quick to comply with his request.

Although my reaction had been almost immediate, Itachi's movements suddenly became hesitant. It was as if he was doubting himself- or perhaps, doubting _my _decision. In a silent attempt of reassuring him, I brought one hand up to the back of his head, urging him closer to me and displaying the affection that welled up in my heart, for him. A hum of contentment vibrated in his throat in response to my small gesture, as his tongue moved alongside mine.

I felt almost nostalgic as his lips pulled away from my own, to brush along my jaw line before attaching themselves to my neck. A slow press of lips to my pulse point had me gasping, Itachi's mouth parting against the delicate skin. Of course, his skills of remembrance and calculating had enabled him to pinpoint the exact spot on my neck that turned me into putty in his hands. Sucking on the sensitive spot, he enticed a high-pitched moan from me, instantly turning my cheeks red as I bit down hard on my lower lip, the ticklish sensation becoming almost too much.

Mouthing the forming light bruise, he trailed a hand down my chest. My heartbeat sped up beneath his fingertips, which pressed slightly against the heated skin before following the light sprinkle of dark hairs on my chest down to my stomach. Blunt nail tracing the outlines of the muscles- tensed in excitement- he had me shivering beneath him. Travelling even further down, he allowed his thumb to graze the dip of skin near my hipbone. Then he stopped, fingers slowly sliding backwards and forwards along the waistband of the slacks I was wearing, almost _hovering_ above the material.

Itachi became still, empty seconds passing like minutes as my buzzing body tried to process the fact that contact had stopped. His breaths still swept over my neck, but there was space between us.  
Shutting my eyes, I shuddered at the intensity of the situation- the tension that hung thick in the air.

Somehow, I knew that he was analysing my answer, evaluating the weight behind my words. I could feel his gaze burning into my skin and it broke down even further, swimming through my blood and searching my heart for honesty- for reassurance.

Instead of brushing his doubts away with words, which seemed to weak in comparison to the electricity crackling around us, I bucked my hips upwards, my hardening length rubbing against his thigh.  
He gave a sharp intake of breath in response and I watched as his fingertips slipped down into my trousers, curling around the waistband and yanking gently until they were around my knees. Flushing, I came to the realisation that I wasn't wearing any underwear. Typical, I thought, but that train of thought came to a careening halt with any other currently occupying my head, when Itachi's tongue ran up the side of my erection.

I hissed at the sudden wetness, the icy sensation it gave me as it dried on my overheated flesh. His smirk was obvious in his eyes, although not showing on his lips- because they were wrapped around the head of my erection, turning me into a useless bag of bones beneath him. I felt weak yet powerful at the same time as he sucked harder. Running the flat of his tongue against my length, he slipped nimble fingers even further down to fondle my balls. Heavy pants shaking my frame, I attempted to buck upwards into his mouth, only to be stopped by a strong hand on either side of my hips.

My cheeks became even more flushed as I realised how easily I lost control around Itachi. Immediately, I felt foolish- childish, even, for giving into urges and instinct so quickly.  
_  
But…_ a small voice in my heart whispered, _running on pure instinct is so much easier._

And I knew that it was. When I gave up thinking and let my body decide things for me, things felt much simpler. There was no worries, no fear, no regrets- no guilt. As if this small decision was all it took, my mind gave up and my body took over. My hands moved of their own accord down to Itachi's hair, trembling fingers burying themselves in long, charcoal locks. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes as I squeezed them shut tightly, my whole body buzzing with pleasure.

There was an audible popping sound when Itachi pulled away, licking at his swollen lips with a pink tongue, swiping away the pearly drops of pre-cum that clung to the flesh. I bit down on my own lip as he swooped down to kiss me, hands trailing slowly down my body. As our lips worked against each other, his forefinger pressed against my entrance, slipping inside. My eyes snapped open in surprise at the sudden intrusion- I had been expecting a warning- but I relaxed beneath him, trusting him not to hurt me. A second finger was soon added, scissoring the passage for only a few moments before he withdrew completely. I felt him position the head of his erection at my entrance, and he peered down at me, the question in his eyes obvious to me. _Are you ready?_

I nodded, knowing that I was relaxed enough for any further preparations to be unnecessary. Dark eyes drifting downwards over our naked forms, he watched as his length slid inside of me. I stiffened, overwhelmed by the almost-forgotten familiar sensation of him moving within me. Quickly becoming used to the feeling, I shifted experimentally, bare back moving against the soft sheets I lay on. Itachi correctly interpreted this as a good sign, and pulled back to push into me again.

My mouth slipped open, toes curling in rising pleasure as he continued to thrust in and out of me, calculatingly angling his hips differently each time, until face screwed up in pleasure and he knew he'd found my prostate. Keeping himself in that same position, he rocked his hips from side to side, enticing a loud, guttural moan to rip its way out of my throat. Hot lips pressed against my neck and his heavy gasps bounced against my skin there, the tingling feeling just adding to the pleasure that coursed through my veins. I knew I was making him feel good- and that was satisfying; we were making each other feel good again after so long.

I arched up into him, erection lying, neglected, between us but pressing up against the hard muscles of his stomach. He tensed slightly above me, and a hot hand was suddenly curled around my length, squeezing and pumping me in time to his thrusts. His actions pierced through the haze of ecstasy that I was drowned in, a childish stubbornness breaking through. Eyes still squeezed tightly shut and head thrown back in spine-tingling pleasure; I carelessly batted his working hand aside and replaced it with my own. Between heavy pants, a deep chuckle escaped his lips.  
Stubbornly, I cranked one eye open to keep it trained on his face as my own hand worked me to completion. Dots of bright white light exploded behind my eyelids, body shuddering as cum shot across my hand and abdomen in almost painfully thick ribbons. Moments later, Itachi followed, my clenching muscles around his length inside of me just pushing him over the edge. Struggling for breath as much as I was, he stayed inside of me but collapsed against my stomach- making sure to distribute his weight evenly so as not to crush me.

When my bright eyes slipped open, I realised that my older brother was silently studying my face, expression betraying a few of his thoughts; fear of rejection, of regret, was spread across his face in a moment of vulnerability. I found that I quite liked the look on his face- it was a rare sight and I treasured this post-sex openness. I decided to take advantage of it, to perhaps test his willingness to stay with me.

"Is this going to last?" My heart rate was already increasing with the intense atmosphere of the room.

He shifted above me, pulling out slowly and I winced at the almost unpleasant sensation. Rolling over, he lay beside me on the slim bed, pressing a hot hand against my sweat-shimmering chest. I thought, for a moment, that my heart was going to go into overdrive and spontaneously combust, just from the small but meaningful action. His palm drifted over my skin, leaving tingles in its wake, until it was firm against my heart. In my mind's eye, a terrible vision of Itachi pushing his fingers through my flesh, clutching my heart and ripping it from my body, entered my mind. The impact of the thought almost left me shaking; how could I imagine that he would pluck my heart from me like a cherry from a bowl? Maybe it was metaphorical, because it did feel as if, in those next few minutes, that he was taking my heart and I would _never_ get it back. Nor would I ever wish to have it returned to me.

"Forever." Itachi breathed his response, pressing a soft kiss to my temple before pulling himself closer to me.

I melted into the embrace, feeling all worries dissipate instantly as I drank in the relaxing warmth that Itachi's muscular body provided me with. I was safe- I was where I belonged.

There was still the matter of my disappearance to figure out- how were we going to explain it to Konoha? I knew we wouldn't be able to, but I didn't know if we could hide forever. Deep in the darkest veins of my little, twisted black heart, I felt a twinge of guilt in regards to Naruto. All he ever did was give- to me- and he was so dedicated. He would try and bring me back, to make me see sense- but he wouldn't be able to understand that I had never been so sure of anything in my life. It was cliché, but it was true. Itachi was like the sunshine to me. Not in the sense that he was the light of my life, but more realistically, more deeply, I could survive without him- but not happily, and not for very long.

A small _whoosh_ of air alerted me to the birth of a shadow clone- a mirror image of Itachi standing beside the bed, as naked as Itachi was lying next to me. I hid a snicker behind my hand as I ogled the nude figure before me. Itachi looked at me out of the corner of his eye, the slightest of smirks tugging at the corner of his lips. At the gesture of his hands, the clone nodded and headed towards the wall, flicking a light-switch before disappearing with another identifying _whoosh_ as darkness swallowed the room.

I fell asleep with a smile on my lips. 


	20. Twenty: Breakaway

I awoke to the sound of muffled, distant voices. Blinking in confusion, I wiped gently at my eyes to rid them of the after-effects of sleep. The empty space on the mattress next to me was still warm from body heat when I passed my palm over it- Itachi hadn't been up for long. The voices were coming from the direction of the doorway, and I instantly recognised one of them as the deep voice of my older brother. There was the tell tale, whispering rustle of material as Itachi obviously looked back at my prone form, and I lay perfectly still, not wishing to alert them of my consciousness. I forced myself to relax, willing my tense body to melt into the comfortable sheets.

"I can't do that, Deidara." Itachi's voice was stiff, cold- the perfect mask that he wore around all others except me. I was sure he was wearing an emotionless expression, too, as the two went hand-in-hand.

There was a soft snort, from 'Deidara'.

"What are you going to do then? You know you can't just up and leave, yeah?" He sounded younger than Itachi, perhaps only two years older than me. I found my brow creasing at his tone. It was condescending, almost, although it was tinted with dislike, resentment- a slight fear. I wondered what he had against Itachi- if there was anything specific.

Silence filled the room, but only for a few moments.

"I can, and I will. Sasuke and I will leave at sunrise. I will discuss it with Pein first, of course. We are not all insistent 'rebels' like you, Deidara." Itachi bit out, and even though I could not see his face, I pictured his eyes narrowing dangerously; the Sharingan spiralling in his irises, striking righteous fear into the hearts of anyone who happened to be on the receiving end of the trademark Uchiha glare.

"Fuck you, yeah? I'll be glad to see the back of you, you cocky son-of-a-bitch." Deidara was bristling with anger- it was tangible in the air. I smirked into my pillow.

Footsteps resounded throughout the room, fading into the distance as Deidara left and the door swung closed once again. No further movements followed, and I almost wondered, for a second, if Itachi had left with his angry companion. This thought was dismissed as the mattress dipped with a sudden weight, Itachi's hand clasping my bare shoulder gently. I shivered at the warmth seeping into my body from his touch, shifting slightly in the bed until I was in a half-upright position.

"You heard that?" His voice was soft, a contrast to the angry tension I had witnessed only seconds before.

I nodded, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting an elbow on one of them before resting my chin on my hand. Turning dark eyes to my brother's face, I was surprised to see uneasiness written there.

"Is something wrong?" I ventured, frowning slightly.

"I have to go talk to Pein." Itachi answered, not directly answering my question- a fact which I did not overlook. "Do not answer the door- at all. You can wash in the basin over there, and when you're done, you can borrow some of my clothes from the wardrobe. I know I probably don't even have to say this, but be quiet. I'll see you when I get back." He sat up, bracing himself on his arms as he leaned over to press a quick kiss to my lips.

Then, he was pulling on his Akatsuki cloak and was gone from the room before I had the chance to ask him _why._ The lock of the door clicked and then I was left with silence. Raising my eyes to the blank, sand-coloured ceiling, I scowled. I was sick of being left alone.

As soon as my thoughts were not trained on Itachi, they traitorously returned to Naruto and the village I had left behind. I had not left a note, a sign- there were no clues to my disappearance. But I had fought with Naruto. I had pushed him away. Perhaps he would put two and two together; he was smarter now. Much snappier and I realised he would know I had come after Itachi, even if, in the end, it had been Itachi who came after me. Naruto would come searching for me. I would always be hiding, and that wasn't a life I particularly wanted, but if it was a life with Itachi, then I was beyond the point of want. It was a life I needed.

Sighing at the melancholic turn my thoughts had taken, I threw them into the farthest corner of my mind, and pushed myself up and out of the bed. I was still naked, but the cool air did not bother me as I made my way over to the small sink that sat against the wall at the other end of the room. I only turned the tap on gently, careful to make as little noise as possible. The rush of water from the taps being turned on too quickly could make the ancient pipes groan with the strain, so I played it safe.  
It took a while for the basin to fill up- with water that was only lukewarm- but I could not complain. Gingerly, I dipped a cloth into the liquid, squeezing out the excess before wiping it over my chest. The droplets of water tickled my skin as they trickled down my body and to the cold, tiled floor, but I continued anyway.

Afterwards, I grabbed the age-worn towel that sat on the chair near the bed, and furiously scrubbed at my skin, venting my frustrations into the process of drying myself off. Hanging the used and now slightly damp towel over the back of the wooden chair, I headed over to the wardrobe. The old, pinewood doors groaned in protest as I swung them open, and I stiffened. I hadn't expected them to make such noise. Had someone heard?

Then, I realised my stupidity. Deidara was already aware of my presence- why should it matter if anyone else discovered me? I paused in taking out a black t-shirt from a shelf. How many others_ were_ there?  
It didn't matter, I chastised myself. If it was Itachi's order, I had no choice but to comply. He knew what was best for me.

It irked me a little; not knowing everything about my situation. Control was something that I desperately craved for, and being without it was unsettling. Still, there was no amount of private grumbling, or stropping around like some child, that could change anything. Destroying any negative trains of thought, I switched to simply running on auto-pilot, pulling the t-shirt on over my head.

My nose wrinkled in disgust when my fingertips brushed against my hair. It was greasy and I loathed the feeling. After dressing fully- in a pair of fresh boxers and slacks identical to the ones I wore earlier, I walked back over to the basin again. In a small, wooden crate next to the porcelain sink, I found a small bottle of shampoo, close to empty.

Dipping my head straight into the water leftover from my wash, I wet it fully, pushing my fingers through the clumped-together locks. I used the last of the shampoo to wash my hair, and ignored the way it soaked my shirt through when I was done. I didn't bother attempting to style it at all; I knew it would just naturally spring up into its bizarre hairstyle without any of my assistance.

Then, I collapsed onto the bed, shivering with the cold that came with having wet hair, and did what seemed to be becoming a regular habit of mine: waiting. 

*

When Itachi returned, it only took me one look at him to know that things had not gone the way he had initially planned. The door slammed open, flying back into the wall, smashing into the plaster, and he stormed in, Sharingan spinning wildly. He was glaring at nothing in particular as he locked the door behind him. I shifted uneasily, feeling the tiniest bit threatened by his violent manner. Whilst the more logical part of my mind told me that my older brother would never hurt me, my body's instincts were insisting otherwise.

"Itachi..?" I prompted, eyeing him warily as he braced himself against the wall, breaths coming in short, angry pants.

He ignored me- that, or he didn't hear me in his fury. I rolled my eyes at his typical behaviour, presuming that the reason for his lack of response was the former. Swinging my legs round, I slid off the bed and approached him. When I clasped his shoulder with my hand, he hissed quietly. I frowned, strengthening my hold and swivelling him round to face me.

His handsome face was flushed, features crossed in a permanent angry scowl, and lips pulled back in a snarl. I flinched.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded, fixing him with an equally pissed off glare. Being kept in the dark for so long- constantly- was getting to me, putting me on edge.

Itachi exhaled deeply, softening beneath my returned expression of irritation.

"Things… didn't go the way I expected." He offered, eyes quickly darting to the open wardrobe and then back to my face.

"No shit," I deadpanned, setting my jaw. "Would you care to expand upon that?"

"Why are you being so testy?" Itachi ignored my question, replying with one of his own.

My grip on his shoulder tightened. Distantly, I wondered where the love and intimacy of last night had gotten to. Perhaps it had died when this frustration was born.  
Itachi, naturally, sensed how deeply this stubbornness was rooted, and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, a forefinger and thumb coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he clearly strove to fight off an oncoming headache. I melted a little at the gesture, empathising a little.

"Sorry," I said quickly, quietly. "I'm just tired of not knowing anything."

"You haven't changed one bit." Itachi let out a dry chuckle, peering down at me through raven bangs.

"That's not true." I dismissed his attempts at lightening the mood. He was trying to dredge up memories of our carefree childhood, of happier, brighter times- times in which we had no need for worries such as these- whatever _these_ were. I _had_ changed; so much so that I barely recognised myself anymore. One did not have their whole family massacred- their whole _world_ broken apart and messily glued back together and come out the same again on the other side.

Itachi's Sharingan had long since slipped away and his charcoal eyes darkened considerably at my words. Because his mind was always so tightly linked to my own, I knew he understood the meaning beneath my response, no matter how irrelevant to the current conversation it actually was. I averted my eyes, my hand falling from his shoulder and back into place at my side.

Then, a hand was firmly angling my bowed head upwards, so that I was gazing up into Itachi's face, gentler and kinder this time. Insistent lips were suddenly against my own in a reassuring kiss- a reminder that I was loved by the person that meant the most to me, and that was all that mattered right now. The people who weren't allowed to know of my presence- the rest of the dangerous 'Akatsuki'? They were _nothing_, they weren't on my radar, they didn't exist. Itachi was here and he was all I cared about. If we were in danger, we would escape together. I knew it.

He confirmed this suspicion with a whisper against my lips, his breath cool as it brushed over my cheek.

"We have to leave. Now."

I tensed up at the weight beneath the words. His tone suggested immediate danger.

"Don't ask why," Itachi ordered, before I could even think about questioning him. "Pein will let us leave, but I don't trust him. We have to get away as soon as we can. The sun's not up yet, and it won't be for another hour or two, but we have _really _got to go." He headed over to the wardrobe, rummaging through the piles of clothes before pulling out a small box, bound in dark red leather.  
Opening it, he pulled out a knitted pouch, bulging with what I could only assume was money. He tucked the bag into his pocket and then fixed me with an expressionless gaze. "Are you ready?"

Almost overwhelmed by the sudden change in events, I simply nodded. Itachi mirrored my actions, crossing the room in large strides and gripping my wrist in his hand. Just as his vice-like grip was beginning to threaten my blood's circulation, he released me in order to press a dark black bundle into my arms. I unravelled it to see that it was a cloak, similar to that the Akatsuki members wore, but minus the red clouds that marked them as such.

He was looking at me expectantly when I raised my eyes to him once more. I was surprised to see that he was already donning an identical cloak. Gritting my teeth in unexplained aggravation, I slipped the item of clothing on, the damp parts of my hair making the fabric cold against my neck.

When we were ready, Itachi unlocked the door, pressing a palm against my chest to keep me back. It irritated me that he would treat me like a child, but I knew it was for my own safety and benefit, so I did not protest.

"Stay silent." He whispered, looking down the dimly lit corridor before pointing in the direction we were to go.

The tunnels were narrow and the air was stale. It wasn't long before I was desperate to get out into the open. We travelled briskly, almost sprinting through the corridors, eyes adjusted by now to the darkness. Even if there was no source of light at all, something told me Itachi would have been able to lead us out of there anyways. He knew this place like the back of his hand- which was a thought that unnerved me slightly. I could not imagine spending so long in a place underground like this- _living_ in this desolate place. How long would you have to suffer here to become so familiar with it?

We pushed through a large, oak door, the metal hinges screeching after such a long time of disuse. Breaking out into the open air, night washed over us, the sky a dark midnight blue, few stars sparkling like diamonds pinned up amongst the darkness. The cold night air was refreshing- a great relief from the musty air of the underground walkways of the Akatsuki hideout.

As soon as we reached the forest surrounding the hiding place, Itachi broke out into a run, wrapping long fingers around my wrist and tugging me along with him. My heart was pounding in my chest, ribs threatening to explode from the increased pressure. My overused muscles burned with each stride, but I kept on running. Closer now, I could sense them. They had been tracking us since we got outside, but now they were closing in. Three of them- men- strong. They were definitely not stronger than Itachi and I, but we had a goal and they outnumbered us- even if it was only by one person.

Panting madly, I was following Itachi blindly. I almost fell over completely when we came burst out of the trees and came to a halt at a canyon. A dead end- there was no way we'd be able to make that jump. Below us lay rocky spikes, protruding from the ground and screaming of _death_. My stomach sank immediately; I could feel the Akatsuki members behind us. So close. Adrenaline raged through my veins, setting them on fire. Itachi was frantically looking from side to side, searching for a pathway out of an inevitable clash with his ex-co-workers, if such a light term could be used for such a dark business.

I heard the rustling of the trees as the three men who were chasing us caught up with us. Itachi didn't turn around, and I, at his side, didn't either. We froze, blood running cold as we looked out over the pit of dagger-sharp rocks.

There was the whooshing of air as a barrage of kunai glided towards us from behind.  
They slammed into Itachi's unprotected back. A cry ripped itself from his throat- or was it mine?

I fell to my knees, hands groping wildly for him as he sailed right over the edge of the cliff and into the death trap below.  
--------------------------

**DUN DUN DUNNNN!**


	21. TwentyOne: Misery Take My Shame Alive

**Hey, guys.  
**Yeees, I'd say I'm quite proud of myself for updating twice within the same week. Let's see if we can get this story finished within this month.. (It's a self-given target- I hope I can meet it!) I'm evil, I know. I normally hate cliff-hangers, because I thing I fail at writing them, haha.. You probably agree.

So, we're on **84 **reviews so far, and I cannot thank you enough! It's so nice to know that people are enjoying/have enjoyed this story. It's reassuring, to say the least. Still, I'm really not happy with a lot of this story, and I know that in the future, I will come back and edit the hell out of it. XD Not the plot, but just the way I write in general- changing the atmosphere, the tone, the depth. Ugh, it all sounds so complex.

Well, here's the new chapter. I think it's the third-to-last, or the second. Enjoy. :)  
**If I owned '**_**Naruto**_**', Sasuke would be naked 24/7.  
**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Misery Take My Shame Tonight**

The whole world stopped turning on its axis. It didn't feel real; all I could keep thinking was, _no, no, no!_ This wasn't _happening_. I screamed, lunging forward to look over the edge of the cliff, but I found myself restrained by a strong hand gripping the back of my neck. I was hurled backwards, falling to the grassy floor in a crying, yelling heap. Scrambling to my knees, I attempted to reach the edge again, but a harsh, booted foot slammed into my shoulder, clamping me down to the ground.

Through eyes blurred with unstopping tears, I looked up at my captors. One of which had just sent the person I loved over the side of a cliff.

"_Itachi!" _I screeched, in between screams of agony.

"Shut the hell up, yeah?"

Deidara. I recognised his voice from earlier, although I was not entirely familiar with it.

"You bastard," I choked out, throat thick with tears. "You fucking BASTARD!"

Reaching into the weapons pouch strapped to my thigh, I tugged out a kunai. I stabbed it as hard as I could into the thigh of the person whose foot held me pinned down. They cried out in pain- the sound bringing me a sick sense of achievement. As soon as the offending weight was removed from my ribcage, I clambered to my feet. Deidara was standing at the edge, looking down. His long, blond ponytail swayed in the harsh winds that whipped up around us, and I almost broke down screaming again at the serenity of the scene. How dare the night be so peaceful when my world had just ended?  
Where was the howling gale? The lightning, the rain, the storm? 

"Sasori, I can't see him." Deidara murmured, confusion evident in his voice.

"What do you mean you can't see him?" A monotonous, mature voice sounded from somewhere behind me. I figured that this guy was Sasori.

"Fucking little _bitch!_" The guy who I had stabbed was yelping, clutching at his leg and spurting angry curse words.

"Shut up, Hidan." Sasori again. He came up behind me and grabbed my arm, yanking me away from Deidara with unconcealed strength. I almost fell flat on my ass but managed to regain my footing, struggling in his grip to try and see. He threw me backwards as he looked himself, and I growled in anger, tears salty in my mouth.

After a few horrible seconds of silence- which felt more like minutes to me, in my state of distress, but it couldn't have been- Sasori and Deidara appeared to be leaving. Without Sasori's hard hand on my shoulder holding me up, I sagged to the floor.

"Hey, no! What the fuck are you doing? We have to teach this little shit a lesson!" Hidan growled, gesturing to me with a blood-soaked hand.

"Suck it up, Hidan, yeah?" Deidara snorted. "He's in too much of a state right now. We can just leave him here to mourn over that bastard-brother of his. He'll probably throw himself off after him anyways. Itachi deserved it anyway- the sick, cocky asshole."

I hissed at his words, grabbing a handful of shuriken and hurling them in his general direction. Unfortunately, my vision was obscured by a fresh wave of tears and if the snickering I received for my efforts was any indication, I missed. They left me alone in the dark, Hidan and Deidara cheerfully conversing as they disappeared into the woods.

Choking back sobs, body shaking from shock, I dragged myself to the exact spot Itachi had stood before… _before_….

"Oh, God…" I croaked, curling up in on myself. Memories of Itachi flashed before my eyes, like a cinema film reel, except each perfect moment was playing in slow motion- a mocking reminder of what I had lost.

When the tears subsided- I couldn't physically cry any more- I looked below me to find a foothold.

"_He'll probably throw himself off after him anyways."_

I frowned, Deidara's words coming back to me and halting my actions. Could I really do this? It was sick, I decided, to lose my brother in the same twenty-four hours that I got him back. Fate was a bitch, it really was.

My face an emotionless mask, I ignored the searing pain in my chest and swung my legs over the side of the cliff, feet automatically finding a foothold to brace myself with until my chakra was circulating properly. Once I felt it firing up, I concentrated it in my hands and feet, feeling the warm, familiar buzz pooling there. Then, I began my descent.

The sun was slowly climbing in the sky, casting shadows across the pit of spikes beneath me, giving them an all the more striking look. It was only five minutes or so later that my feet met a large rocky ledge, jutting out from the cliff directly below where I had stood before. My heart jumped in my chest. Had Itachi hit this ledge? I almost vomited at the mental image of his frail body smacking into the ledge at such a high speed, the bones crunching because of the turbulence he gained during his fall.  
Even so, there was no crumpled body in my immediate surroundings, so I assumed he must have bypassed this place completely. I started quivering like a leaf when I realised that if he'd hit this spot, he would still be alive. A drop of this height could not kill a ninja like Itachi.

There were no tears left within me, just a gaping black hole in the space where my heart was supposed to be. I was angry- at those assholes who killed him, at myself for not protecting him and at the whole fucking world in general for turning out like this- for dishing out pain to me over and over again. Was no-one else ever going to suffer? Did I always have to go through this agony alone?

A hand on my shoulder jolted me out of these pessimistic and justifiably angry thoughts. I turned slowly, certain that my dry and tired eyes were deceiving me.

"Itachi?"

Shooting my hands out to grip onto his shirt material, I tugged harshly, pulling him from a standing position to kneeling down beside me. He didn't disappear in my grip, he was real.

"God, h-how? How did you…?" I trailed off, the sobs that had previously left me being re-found as I gripped his shirt like he was my lifeline. Which he was.

"I used a summoning technique to summon enough crows to slow down my fall before I collapsed onto this ledge. It used up all my chakra, though, so I couldn't heal myself at all. My right wrist broke upon impact and a rock caught me in the thigh as I fell... I still haven't stopped bleeding yet."

My already wide eyes widened even further with my disbelief. Slowly, reality was sinking in. Unless I was imagining things, my world could slowly be repairing itself. Needing more reassurance- physical reassurance- I leaned upwards and pressed my lips to his. He tasted like blood, but beneath the sickening metallic tang, was the familiar taste of my older brother. I broke down crying once more with my lips still moving against his, the blood on his lips wet and smearing over my own.

When we pulled away, I was sure that to any outsiders, we would have looked like something from a horror film- faces caked in blood, skin paler than the abnormal white that it was usually- although Itachi had tanned somewhat in his absence from my life- and eyes spilling over in an endless flow of tears that slid down our cheeks and onto the dirt floor beneath us.

"I thought I'd lost you again." I murmured, vulnerable as I fell forward into his arms. He held me close against him, lips pressed into my hair as he nodded.

"I know."

Silence followed, the only sounds reaching my eyes being that of our breathing and the distant thumping of Itachi's heart in his chest, the beating in sync with my own. I sighed quietly, arms sliding around his middle to press my hands against his back. He winced in my hold, and I frowned as small rips in the fabric of his shirt became known to me. Then I remembered the kunai. The kunai that sent him to a previously-thought-certain death.

"Shit, let me heal you. I-I don't know much, but I know enough to heal the minor cuts on your back and to stem the bleeding of your leg."

Itachi nodded soundlessly, gently pushing me away from him and sitting down on the floor more comfortably. Brow creased in concentration, I pooled chakra in my hands and hovered them above the wound in his leg. It was deep, a harsh, jagged gash that had blood seeping from it in a constant flow, even now. The smell of burning flesh met my senses as I worked, but I simply wrinkled my nose and ignored it. I knew it was just the chakra I was emitting simply melding cells back together. The job wasn't done properly- my medical ninja skills were practically non-existent. Ninjas were only ever trained to sort emergencies out before real medics arrived on the scene.

Once the blood trickling from the wound had slowed and stopped completely, I went round to Itachi's back and repeated the process. This time, with a gentler flow of chakra and more precision to the placement of my fingertips. Slowly, the punctures in his skin had sealed up, the flesh pinker than the rest of his body, like scar tissue.

I allowed myself a small smile, pleased that I could do this small thing for my older brother, no matter how significant or insignificant it actually was. Catching my eye, Itachi smiled back. Although he was weak- a lack of chakra does this to you- his smile was genuine. My body was still quivering like a leaf from the multiple shocks I had received this evening. Adrenaline was speeding through my veins, making me sick to my stomach from the drain it had on my aching muscles. I was exhausted, but I knew we had to keep going. Taking in a shaky breath, I got to my feet.

"Are we going?" I asked, running a hand through my spiky hair.

"Yes," Itachi nodded, getting up also, wincing in pain- an action that did not go unnoticed by me.

"Are you sure you're okay? If you were well enough, I'd say we should go right after those bastards and snap their scrawny little necks!" I growled, fists clenched so tightly that my nails actually broke through the tough, dirty skin and drew blood.

Itachi immediately looked ashamed. "You shouldn't have had to go through that. I promise to make things better for you and I make them worse - life-threatening - almost straight away. I'm sorry."

I rolled my eyes, smiling gently. "It's fine, I'll be okay. We pulled through. Let's just get out of here; if you're up to it, that is."

"Would I, the great Uchiha Itachi fail now?" He flipped his bangs away from his eyes in an ignorant fashion, winking at me as he did so. I chuckled slightly, reaching out and tugging his arm to make him get moving. "Come on. Where are we headed for?"

His black eyes were intense, smouldering as they scanned our bleak surroundings for a long moment. I was about to prompt him into speech when those fathomless eyes snapped back onto mine. A expression akin to regret was on his face and I frowned at the look.

"We're going home." His tone held a firm finality within it and I knew I would not be able to argue back.

My blood ran cold. "Home?" I grit out, through clenched teeth.

"We're going back to Konoha, Sasuke. It's the only place we'll be safe, for now. We won't be staying very long."

Although Itachi's words should have been reassuring, I felt my body threaten to collapse in on itself under the weight of the evening. It was hard to stay upright- I struggled- but I managed.

"I don't want to this." My tone was biting, disapproval dripping from the words.

Itachi nodded slowly. "Are you trying to avoid him?"

The question hung in the air as confusion swam through my body. Then enlightenment reached me, unwelcomed. _Naruto_.

"And the rest of them," Was my stiff reply. We started climbing back up the cliff wall, chakra keeping our palms glued to the rock. Summoning my courage, I exhaled loudly. "How do you know about Naruto?"

"I checked up on you from time to time," It was such an ambiguous answer, but I didn't want to press the issue. I could already feel the awkward tension in the air- or maybe I was the only one who felt that. Itachi's face betrayed none of his inner emotions or thoughts. But then again, he was always like that.  
The rest of the ascent was in silence, the only sounds filling the air being that of our harsh breathing and the quiet, harsh scrape of the soles of our sandals against the chalky stone. When we reached the top, Itachi offered me a small smile, tilting his head in a silent question.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. I don't hold it against you." His eyes formed small arcs in his face as his smile grew, and despite my previous agitation, I couldn't help but return it.

I nodded. "He was… just a distraction."

"I know."

Then he slipped his hand into mine, twining our fingers together and tugging me closer to him so that we were walking side by side. Lifting our clasped hands to his lips, he pressed a small kiss to the back of my hand. I watched silently, feeling the blood threaten to flush my face, but I fought against the embarrassing reaction.

"This will be fine." Itachi reassured, and we turned our eyes back to the road.

I had no choice but to believe him, as we continued on our trek back to the home I had just so eagerly ran away from, and the heartbreaking memories that clung to it.

--------------  
Sorry it's so short! But I really felt that there was the best place to end this chapter.  
Next chapter should be up soon; I'll be starting on it straight away.

Thanks for all the support, guys. And remember: reviews are love. :3 


	22. TwentyTwo: Together We Stand

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Together We Stand**

When we arrived at the wall Konoha, defending it from the surrounding area, Itachi placed a warning hand on my shoulder. I nodded; we had discussed this earlier. Itachi was going to perform a henge-jutsu and I would simply pretend I was returning normally to Konoha with a guest. I watched intently as Itachi transformed into another form before my eyes. A shock of vibrant red hair, long and wild with spikes pointing to the ground, framed a handsome face. His nose was sharper, eyes a sparkling emerald and lips pink and full. He was dressed in a black peasant-style top and pants identical to the ones he wore earlier- but the Sand Village ninja headband hanging loosely around his neck contradicted his outfit choice.

Grinning, I gestured to the gate and we headed towards it. The guards blinked at me in surprise upon taking in my appearance. I nodded to them, pausing for their inspection. When their eyes passed over my 'guest', they widened even further.

"Uchiha Sasuke. We were not aware that you had left the village." The first one bowed slightly in apology, and I returned it with a curt nod.

"I am sorry. That is my own fault; I did not report to a guard upon leaving. I have only been absent for two days- I travelled to the sand village. Please make a note of my companion, Katsu Hotaru. He will be staying with me for a few days. The Hokage is aware of his presence, as I sent her a note earlier today." The lies fell from my lips so easily, and the guards drank them in. Nodding, they gestured for me to enter the village, Itachi- or, Hotaru, close behind.

"Nicely played." His voice was a little deeper than usual, but I knew he was putting it on. Henge jutsus didn't change your voice.

I smirked, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye as we walked through town in the direction of the Uchiha complex.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" I winced, Ino's loud voice piercing my ear drums. "You're back!"

I almost gagged when I turned to look at her and realised she was pressing her breasts together with her upper arms in order to make her cleavage more pronounced. It was disgusting, it really was.

"Hello." I ignored her for the most part, simply continuing on my way. I knew that behind me, she would be pouting at my sudden dismissal, but she should be used it by now. Her feelings just weren't my problem.

It was hard to keep my eyes trained on the floor when we walked past Ichiraku's ramen stand- I knew it was Naruto's favourite place to eat. Itachi seemed to notice this and he sent me a comforting look when I spared him a glance. If Naruto found me, I didn't know what I would do- didn't know what I would end up telling him.

Still, apparently my paranoia was just that, because we managed to reach the Uchiha complex without being spotted by any other of my peers. Sighing as I slid the door open, I slipped my shoes off and left them at the steps leading up into the hallway. My cloak from before had been forgotten somewhere on the road, burned with a fireball jutsu to ensure its disappearance was permanent and that we couldn't be traced.

"You know the house and the way things work." I gestured broadly in the direction of the hallway, and consequently, the bedrooms. "I sleep in your room now, as you know, you can sleep wherever you want."

Itachi switched back to himself with a whoosh of air and a smirk. "I'm sleeping wherever you do, of course."

I averted my eyes at the somewhat _suggestive_ images that that thought summoned up. When I looked back up, Itachi was tugging at the hem of his top and wrinkling his nose at the dirt splattered across it, which I'm sure was blended in with blood as well.

"Do you still have my old clothes?" He asked, raising his gaze to mine once more. I nodded in affirmation. "If they still fit, I need to get changed." I nodded in reply, turning away from him to enter my original room, where my clothes were still kept.

Sighing, I picked out a change of clothes; the usual navy blue t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts, fresh boxers and socks. When I was ready, I went to the bathroom to wash. Filling up the basin of the sink with warm, clean water, I dipped a washcloth in it and scrubbed the dirt and sweat away from my body. There weren't any freshly washed towels hanging up in the bathroom, but I found one that smelled reasonably clean and dried myself with that. I slipped the clothes on and took the others to the kitchen to throw them into the laundry basket along with the towels in need of washing from the bathroom.

Itachi was in the bathroom when I left the kitchen and I assumed that he was showering. I had taken but three steps before there came a loud knocking sound at my door. Throwing a cautious glance to the bathroom, I noted the sound of the running water, confirming my suspicions that Itachi was busy for now. With this reassuring thought in mind, I continued on to the door.

When I swung it open, the last thing I had been expecting was a fist slamming into my face.

"Fuck!" I hissed, a hand coming up to clasp over my scarlet-fountain nose. My eyes swam with reflex-tears and when I lifted them upwards to glare at my attacker, it took a moment for my vision to stop being so blurred.

"You son of a bitch." Naruto growled, face red with anger and jaw clenched tightly. His hands were still fists but they were slowly uncurling and I was sure he wouldn't hit me again, now that I was actually on my guard. "Thanks for telling me you were leaving." He spat. I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry, didn't realise you were my babysitter." I snapped, wiping away the blood that trickled down my lips with the back of my hand. "Nor did I realise that my whereabouts was any of your business, Naruto."

"Oh, don't fucking start. Really- don't fucking mess with me, Sasuke. I've had enough of you treating me like shit. Sakura told me you were back; she heard from Ino. She'd come round here too, but she told me I should speak with you first." Before I could protest, Naruto shoved past me and entered the house.

My blood ran cold and I tried to focus. _Don't notice… don't notice…_

"We need to sort this out, Sasuke. We've been in this relationship for what, six months now? You used to be fine. I don't understand why you won't just tell me what's bothering you instead of blanking me out all the time. I mean-" Naruto cut off, pausing and cocking his head, frown marring his features. "Who's in your shower?"

_Think fast._

"No-one." I answered, calmly. "I was just about to get in it before you showed up." The lie was smooth and would have fooled Naruto if he was still twelve. But he wasn't- he was more observant now, more intelligent.

"No, you weren't. You're clean- I can smell the soap." He pushed back from the wall he'd been leaning against and made off down the hall. My eyes widened as he reached for the doorknob. He gave it a sharp jerk from side to side before turning to me with restrained frustration in his eyes. "Why is it locked, if you were about to get in it, Sasuke? Who's in there?" His voice was near-silent, quieted by the emotions spiralling within him.

"Sasuke?" Itachi's voice came from within the bathroom, tinted with apprehension. Seconds later, the lock clicked and the door opened, revealing Itachi, dripping wet and clad in only a pair of boxers.

"No fucking _way_!" Naruto growled, hands tightened into fists once more and his whole body beginning to shake with anger. "What is _he_ doing here?" He demanded, turning to me with bared teeth. "Is that why you left, huh? Is this it now?"

"Is _what_ it?" I kept my voice calm, reserved, cold.

"Are we _over_ because you're fucking your older _brother_ again?"

Itachi was still quiet, watching the exchange between Naruto and me with an emotionless expression- showing no signs of guilt for the problem he had caused. I distantly wondered why he had not done another henge before opening the bathroom door, but I supposed he was too tired and drained of chakra to think clearly enough to respond appropriately.

"Naruto, whatever it was that we had, it wasn't a relationship of that kind. Deal with it. I'm leaving with Itachi tomorrow." I didn't know if the last part was true, but after I said it, I knew I had to follow through with that plan.

"You're what? _What?_ You can't- you can't just leave!" Naruto's anger subsided a little at my words and his voice took on a tone of desperation. "You only just came back!"

Itachi was staring at me now, but I knew he accepted my new plan with little to no resistance.  
When Naruto lunged for me again, I expected it but I didn't make any attempts to block the hit. We slammed into the floor when I fell over backwards because of his weight, and he quickly straddled my waist. I remained motionless as his eyes frantically searched my own, empty as they were. He mashed his mouth against mine, his tongue forcing itself past my sealed lips. Afterwards, when he pulled away, his eyes were brimming with tears.

"Do you not feel _anything_?" He rasped, fisting my collar.

I shook my head, although the action was awkward due to my head still being on the floor. I glanced at Itachi, whose eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I suggest you remove yourself from my younger brother right now. I'm very protective of him, you know."

Naruto bristled at the words.

"Uchiha Itachi, I suggest you stay the fuck away from my _boyfriend_ from right now 'til forever. I'm very attached to him, you know." He hissed, refusing to move from atop me despite my efforts at pushing him off.

Something snapped within Itachi and it became obvious as the anger started rolling off him in waves, polluting the room when it met Naruto's palpable rage as their eyes met. I almost let a sigh slip from my lips; I didn't want to fight and I didn't want Itachi and Naruto to fight either. It would be dangerous because Itachi would underestimate how powerful Naruto could be when angry or threatened. Naruto would be irrational and too full of burning hatred to fight skilfully. Either way, one of them would get hurt.

With a predatory growl, Itachi grabbed hold of Naruto's collar and yanked him off of me, sending him slamming into a wall before Itachi's fist met Naruto's face. I scrambled to my feet, moving forwards to break apart the potentially deadly brawl which was currently taking place in my hallway. They were spitting in each other's faces, relentlessly packing punch after punch, kick after kick into each other's bodies. Hissing in frustration, I took hold of Naruto and pulled him away from my older brother, only to be struck on the jaw for my efforts.

Naruto stared at me for a few moments, wide-eyed and tears forgotten as he drank in my state of distress.

"Leave, Naruto." I commanded, ignoring the throbbing pain in my face. "If you would be so kind as to inform the Hokage of my departure when you do, I would appreciate it." I wouldn't appreciate it- I could easily do it myself, but I would choose not to. I didn't want to face the authorities. Still, I knew Naruto would probably be screaming my leaving to the whole of the village from the rooftops.

"Sasuke, don't go!" He protested, clutching my arm in an almost pathetic, weak manner. He had a bruise forming over his eye, his lip was split and blood was trickling down his chin in a mockingly slow manner. My eyes followed the action with vague disinterest as I dampened down the traitorous ounce of sympathy threatening to well up inside me.

"You've been a good friend to me, Naruto." I stated, ignoring his objections to my actions. "But I'm leaving, and you can't stop me. Accept that."

Wrapping my fingers around his wrist, I detached myself from his insistent grip.  
His jaw clenched, eyes scanning my face disgustedly and he nodded, indignant and hurt.

"Fine. Fine, you asshole. I won't even bother trying. I'll just wait here for you to come crawling back because he fucked you up again. I'll just push you back on your sorry ass because you're such a selfish person. Friends? You obviously don't even know the meaning of the word. There was evidently no bond between us in the first place. Nice to know you won't have broken anything."  
With that, he slammed me away from him and into the wall behind me, my back slamming against the wood and pain echoing throughout my body.  
He turned to leave, but before his hand left its resting place on my shoulder, he leaned back in and deposited a small, harsh kiss on my lips. I remained cold and dead beneath him; something which he must have been expecting even though his reaction was angry. He bit down hard on my lower lip, with enough force to break the skin and draw blood. Sending me one last, wavering look, he disappeared out of my door and hopefully out of my life for good.

I stood still for a long time, the metallic and all-too-familiar taste of blood on my tongue- or maybe that was the sour taste of regret- and face beginning to flush with the rollercoaster of emotion that crashed when I realised Itachi was the only person I had left now. Or perhaps, he always was the only one.  
Forcing myself to relax, my chest stopped being so tight and I remembered how to breathe normally again. With narrowed eyes, I regarded Itachi calmly. He was watching me silently, face expressionless.

"Why didn't you use a henge?" I asked, exasperated and gingerly pressing a fingertip to my bleeding lip.

Itachi shrugged, "I didn't think."

"Perhaps you should have!"

I didn't mean to snap, but I was angry that things had to turn out this way. If people were hurt by my absence, they would chase me. But hopefully, if Naruto had given up on me… I would be safe.  
Itachi simply nodded, pushing himself away from the wall that he was oh-so-calmly leaning against.

"Will he be sending anbu?" He asked, once he realised that the irritated look had disappeared from my face, dying down.

"I think so. We should leave now." I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

A chuckle slipped from Itachi's lips as he smirked down at me. "And where," I had started down the corridor towards my room, but Itachi easily backed me into the wall again. "Dear little brother, do you propose we head for?"

I scowled slightly, meeting his amused gaze. "I don't know." I admitted. "I thought _you_ would know that. Seeing as you're always the man with the plan."

Itachi pressed a soft kiss to my lips before swiping his tongue along my lower lip. But before I could open my mouth to allow him entrance, he pulled away, licking at his own lip.

"You taste like blood…" He mused, repeating the action once more.

I rolled my eyes. " No shit. Come on, get your stuff." He sent me a small grin, but I simply raised an eyebrow and carried on to my room, hurriedly pulling open drawers and ripping out clothes.

It took a while, but I eventually managed to fill a rucksack neatly with the essentials. Clothes, my savings and some more kunai, shuriken and scrolls for my weapons pouch. Once the bag was almost full to the brim, I headed into the kitchen to pack some food supplies. Soft footsteps sounding from behind me told me that Itachi was dressed and already back into his ninja sandals.

"We'll head for the border of the stone and waterfall village. I have an acquaintance there; he could set us up with a place to live. Does that sound good?" He suggested, slipping an arm around my waist as I shoved packet after packet of food into my overflowing backpack.

"Yeah. I'm sure they won't think to look for me in the grass country." I nodded my approval, forcing the zip of the knapsack to close and turning to face Itachi.

He poked my forehead gently with his index finger and middle finger, in a way reminiscent of how he used to. Immediately, I felt calmer about our situation- our plan.

"It'll be okay." Itachi assured me, reading my mind as always. I smiled warmly up at him, actually believing him this time.

Once we were ready, we started on our way. It was easy to get out of Konoha; we simply used another henge jutsu. Apparently, Naruto hadn't informed the authorities of our intentions yet, because our chakra signatures were not even picked up on as we flew over the walls of the village and out into the open air, unrestrained.

I threw Itachi a sidelong glance, reverting back to my original self; not even blinking at the peculiar yet momentary sensation of all the cells in my body shifting to normal again.  
His pink lips tugged up in a satisfied smirk when he caught my eyes, the excitement in them rivalling mine.

We were _free._

Hey, awesome-and-amazing fans o' this story!  
I'm very sorry about the wait, but this here is the _second-to-last_ chapter. That's right: next chapter will be the _final_ one.

I'm extremely aware of the change in my writing style since I started this story. Personally, I detest most of this story because I don't believe I have written it to the standard I could have. Needless to say, at one point in the future, I will come back and re-edit the _hell_ out of this story until I am satisfied.

However, despite its poor quality, you've all been so good to me! The reviews have been so inspiring and reassuring! I appreciate them all a lot. Noteworthy reviewers are **Suzumia, YaoiSmutMaster, ****xXxItaHinaSasuXxX, **and of course, all of you are incredible! ^^  
Thanks so much!

Look at me, I'm getting all sentimental. TT^TT

I'm going to start working on the final chapter very soon! As soon as inspiration strikes!

Oh, and we're almost at 100 reviews! I know it's childish considering there are stories that are much more popular than this one, but it's still nice. =] I'd love it if we could break past 100 reviews..  
Ugh, I'm so unsubtle. *shot*

Argh, stupid emotional author's note! Thanks again, guys. You're amazing. 3 I'll take any requests at all, any pairing from any of you… to show my love and appreciation. =] 


	23. TwentyThree: By My Side

**By My Side**

**-Generic disclaimer here..-**

Author's note full of love and hugs at the end, folks!  
This is the _last_ chapter of 'I'll Kiss Your Lips Again', a last little bit of sweetness to finish things off... Like... a dessert. XD

Thanks for being so awesome.

**

* * *

**Things weren't always perfect from then on- but they were as close as they could get. The life of a missing-nin is a tough one, and it was sometimes hard to go unnoticed when we came across Konoha ninja. For the most part, we were safe in the Grass Country. I had been right when I said Naruto would look for me. He didn't give up. I almost pitied him, sometimes. His dedication to me was touching but unneeded. I was content- for the first time in _years_ and I wasn't about to let anybody change that.  
Itachi's friend was very helpful to us; he set us up with a medium-sized house, just big enough for the two of us. It was comfortable, but we were never in it very much. I liked travelling a lot, because it was a way of getting out and seeing the world. Somewhere between running away and escaping from Konoha, and settling down in the border between the Stone and Waterfall village, I had developed a fascination with freedom. Everything felt different now, with this new life of mine. I felt unrestrained, _liberated_.  
Nowadays, I was always in a good mood- and it was infectious. Itachi would often chuckle at my meaningless musings, my murmurs of contentment and ridiculously goofy grins that managed to spring onto my face whenever we went into the forest together- to train, or simply just to sit. Sometimes, we would sit by the waterfalls and remain silent for the longest of times. We'd hold each other, and just think. Or- we wouldn't think- didn't _want _to think. I had learned long ago that living by instinct was the key to being happier. To just follow my heart; that was my new 'way of the ninja'.

I snorted out loud as this thought entered my head. I was in Itachi's arms, leaning back into his strong chest as we listened to the sounds of the waterfall crashing into the rocks beside us. The stray drops of water sprayed against our bare arms, making them sparkle in the bright sunlight of the hot afternoon.  
Craning my neck upwards in a very awkward position, I peered up at Itachi as he lazily cranked one eye open to regard me with a mildly confused- yet slightly amused- look.  
A chuckle slipped from my lips as I shifted in my older brother's lap, smile growing as I mulled over my own thoughts in my head.

"I was just wondering what that dumbass Naruto would think of my new way of the ninja." I mused, leaning back against Itachi once more. When I was settled into him again, I felt him tense up at the topic of Naruto. Although, before I could comment, the tension left almost as quickly as it came.

"Oh?" Itachi prompted, voice light and refusing to betray any of his innermost thoughts. I almost rolled my eyes at this. I should have known that he wouldn't share his worries with me- no matter how mild or ridiculous they may be. "And what exactly is your new way of the ninja?"

"Hmm, I don't think I want to tell you. You'll laugh." I pouted slightly, pursing my lips and frowning in contemplation.

"I won't." Itachi promised, but his voice then took on a more teasing tone. "Unless it's stupid…"

Sighing, I clambered about on his lap before I was facing him, effectively straddling him where we sat. Brow furrowing even further, I folded my arms tightly across my chest.

"I should have _known_ you'd say that. Now I'm _really_ not going to tell you." I closed my eyes at him in mock annoyance, turning my head away from him and putting my chin up indignantly.

"Oh, come _on,_ Sasuke. If you know me so well, you'd know I was just kidding." His arms slid around me at this, punctuating his statement by wrapping around my back and tugging me forwards so that I clumsily collapsed against his chest. Sighing reluctantly, I allowed my own arms to circle his neck, fingers burying into his loose, black hair.

"Fine." I smiled softly, gently resting my forehead against his as I peered down into his onyx eyes, the mirror image of my own. "My new way of ninja- way of life, even- is to follow my heart."

I saw Itachi's eyes light up at my confession, slight surprise on his face. "Well," he breathed, words tickling my lips as they were not so far away from his own. "Let's just hope your heart doesn't leave me, then."

I laughed a little. "Oh, no, my heart's firmly set on you."

Before I could break out into one of those goofy grins that were solely for Itachi's viewing only, his lips pressed softly against mine and I was melting into the tender kiss. It was feather-light but filled with a mind-blowing intensity that was almost impossible to describe. My whole body started tingling, heart swelling in my chest with the undeniable feeling of loving and being loved in return. I was glad my answer pleased him so, especially when his large, warm hands started travelling down my back, the material of my shirt baking hot from the sun's rays.

I let out a hum of satisfaction when his fingertips pushed up and under the worn hem of my t-shirt, trailing ever-so-gently over my back. He traced along my spine, the sensation a tickling one, but it didn't bother me because I was so distracted by his tongue swiping along the seam of my lips. Resisting the urge to giggle pointlessly like some kind of lovesick schoolgirl, I parted my lips and allowed him entrance.  
Slowly, his tongue slid into my mouth, warm and unrushed as it ran over my own. I wasn't about to complain about the slow pace- it was nice to take things calmly for once, in this fast-paced world we had built for ourselves. The sun was beating down against our bodies, the therapeutic crashing of the waterfall becoming simply background noise to us as our mouths moved against each other. I could say it was rare for us to share moments of togetherness like this- but I would be lying. We were with each other a lot, simply relaxing and enjoying each other's company, but usually, our intimate actions were mainly fuelled by lust, hormones and an urge to touch and be touched.  
Instead, this time, everything felt so much _more_ intimate because of the sheer power and thought going into every soothing caress of skin or every sweet slide of tongue against tongue.

When his hands slipped round to my front, daringly pushing past the waistband of my trousers, I pulled away from the intense kiss.

"Not here," I hissed, although my face was heavily flushed, which somehow rendered my firm tone useless. "Someone could see us."

Itachi gave me a blank look, one perfect black eyebrow raised in question. "_Here?_ We're more likely to be seen at _home_."

I bit my lip as I thought this over. It was a valid point, but it didn't entirely dismiss my nagging concerns.  
_Relax, Sasuke, _I told myself. _Act on __**instinct**_**. **Right- instinct. I let my body takeover, mind drifting away for a while and giving up control to the hormones rocketing through my blood at that moment in time. Itachi's hands were drifting over my body again, wasting no time in roughly pulling my shirt up and over my arms and head.  
Instantly, his lips attached themselves to my neck, wet, open-mouthed kisses being pressed to the sensitive skin.

"O-oh," I choked back a moan, fingers curling in the material of Itachi's shirt as his tongue did sinful things to my neck. "Itachi…"

"Hm?" He murmured, the sound vibrating against my skin as he pressed his lips to the sensitive spot behind my ear. "Have you given in yet, little brother?"

He didn't seem to care much for an answer, because he quickly distracted me by slipping his hand into my pants, right past the waistband of my trousers and delving into my boxers. I hissed as his fingertips ghosted over my heated length, applying varied pressure and moving in a frustratingly uneven rhythm. Groaning, I moved my shaking hand downwards until it was clasped over his. Wrapping my fingers around his slim wrist, I tightened my grip until he stopped moving.

"Stop it." I demanded, releasing a shaky breath.

An amused glint came to life in Itachi's eyes as he shifted his body against mine. My eyelids fluttered closed at the sensation of his chest against mine, comforting despite the fact that his torso was still fully clothed. Studying my face for a moment longer, he then pulled away from me, an overly remorseful sigh falling from his lips. Confused, I frowned.

"What are you doing?" I slowly asked, breath hardly coming any easier now, even though he had stopped his ministrations and my entire body was screaming out in protest, blood burning like wildfire through my veins.

"Why, Sasuke, I'm simply complying with your wishes," Was the simple reply.

Frustration and disbelief crashed over me. Growling deep in my throat, I pushed myself to my knees and shuffled forwards until my knees were against Itachi's thigh. With one swift movement, I swung my leg up and over his legs so that I was straddling him.

"If you know me so well," I started, mimicking his earlier words. "You'd know that's _not_ what I meant."

Folding my arms across my chest, I leaned backwards so that I could meet Itachi's gaze evenly. The onyx orbs were still tinted with amusement but deepened with undisguised lust. I was sure that my own eyes reflected his, although maybe they were laced with a slight annoyance as well.  
The wind spiralled around us, flecking our skin with the spray from the waterfall, slightly cooling our overheated skin. Fingertips dug into my hips as Itachi pulled my body downwards, our hips meeting in a harsh grind. I groaned deep in my throat, the sensation spiking through my body at the one simple action. A flicker of pleasure across Itachi's face was the only clue to how the movement made him feel, and that frustrated me. Sometimes I hated how expressive my own face was whenever I was around Itachi. It was always easy for him to read me, and recently, it was becoming even more so. This care façade I had built up was slowly cracking with the more time I spent with him.

The pace of the kiss was unhurried when I claimed Itachi's glistening lips with my own. Rushing was a thing of the past. It was an amazing luxury that came with this freedom we had claimed for ourselves. Every action was more intense, full of more feeling. Every time we kissed, it was like I was melting into Itachi, turning into a pool of emotion with each touch. _Ugh. _If my mind hadn't been so clouded with lust, I would have hit myself for sounding like such a girl.

_Damn Itachi for making me this way_, I thought, with a mental annoyed huff. "I hate you." I murmured, without any weight behind the words as his tongue pushed past my lips.

I knew he was amused- I could tell by the way his fingers tightened in my hair and his throat vibrated with the slightest chuckle. Rolling my eyes, I let them slip closed and returned the kiss with equal fervour. Soon, though, I grew irritated. Itachi's hands weren't moving at all. Letting the pulsing throb in my pants fuel my actions, I forcefully took a hold of the hand that rested on my hip, and dragged it to cover the rather pronounced bulge in my trousers.  
I didn't care about how surprised Itachi was or wasn't; the only thought whizzing around in my head was _touch me, touch me, touch me…_ With faked reluctance, Itachi's fingers lazily moved upwards to my waistline, barely brushing the skin as he palmed my erection through my trousers. I welcomed the touch, releasing a quiet whimper for it to be swallowed up by his eager mouth.

Before either of us knew it, the pace had changed. Our movements had become desperate, searching, hungry. Itachi's hips were gyrating against mine, hard and unrelenting. My heartbeat was loud in my ears and when Itachi's hand snaked its way into my boxers again, his fingers curled around my length and pumped to the exact same rhythm of my heart. I hissed out loud as the feeling spread throughout my entire body.  
Shuddering from the pleasure Itachi's actions were causing me to feel, I bravely trailed my own hand down his clothed chest before plunging it into his pants, taking a hold of his erection and spontaneously squeezing it firmly. Itachi's movements faltered slightly, a choked groan of surprise and pleasure slipping from his lips and brushing against my own.

I smirked, pumping his length and bucking upwards into the hand wrapped around mine. Our breaths fogged up in the cold air, the sound of the waterfall failing to hide our moans and gasps as we both drew each other closer to climax.  
I came first, with a wordless cry, spilling into Itachi's hand. My older brother followed only seconds later, hastily capturing my lips with his in a breathy, intense kiss as the post-coital bliss buzzed pleasantly through our veins.

"I knew I could get you in the mood." Itachi murmured against my lips, rather awkwardly because his were curled up in an almost arrogant smirk.

I let a chuckle pass from my lips to his, shifting on my back in an attempt to get more comfortable. "I'm not a girl, Itachi-"

"Oh, I'm more than aware of your very _male_ anatomy, Sasuke." He purred, leaning down to press languid kisses to my neck.

"As I was saying; I'm not a girl- I think you'll find I'm always in the mood." I remarked, eyelids fluttering from the warm tickling sensation his lips against the skin of my neck gave me.

"Hmm," Itachi hummed contemplatively, his hands resting absent-mindedly on my hips. "That's blatantly untrue. Who was it that was whining 'Not here, not here…'?" At this point, Itachi raised his voice a few notes in pitch, doing a poor imitation of my voice and succeeding in making me sound like a teenage girl or something – complete with pretty little pink bows in my hair- I could just _see_ the image in his head as he did so.

Laughing a little, I rolled my eyes, batting at his arm playfully and drawing his head back up to level with mine so I could plant a quick kiss on his lips.

"You're delusional." I told him, pushing none-too-gently at his chest and causing him to roll back onto his haunches as he fell off of me, clearly surprised by the sudden action. A smirk found its way onto his lips, regardless, as he clambered to his feet and wandered over to kneel down by the waterfall. There was the distinctive sound of liquid splashing as he rinsed his… dirtied… hands off in the clear water.  
Looking down at my own semen-coated hand, I wrinkled my nose, feeling a bit sick when I remembered that it was currently caking itself to my skin. Silently following in Itachi's footsteps, I internally debated the pros and cons of pushing him into the large pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall. Actually- there _were_ no cons! With that thought in mind, I lunged forwards to shove Itachi into the shimmering water below.

Of course, knowing the unbeatable ninja skills that he possessed, I should have anticipated his move. He quickly rolled to the side, dodging my attack and I went sailing into the water myself because of the momentum I had built up. I let out a loud scream, crashing into the ice-cold pond- but not before snatching Itachi's shirt and dragging him down with me.

We plummeted to the bottom of the pool with the force of gravity rather _cruelly_ aiding us, until it lost to water pressure and we were thrust back to the surface, our heads breaking through with a loud whoosh of air as we each sucked in breath.  
My raven bangs were plastered to my face, blocking my eyes, so I didn't see Itachi moving towards me with a predatory look.

"That," He declared, hands shooting forwards to grip my shoulders tightly. "Was very sneaky of you."

I snorted with laughter, bringing my own hands up to shove my hair out of my face.

"You shouldn't have moved then." I retorted, kicking my feet a little, treading water to ensure that I could start breathing again properly.

Itachi's perfectly plucked eyebrows rose into his hairline. "What kind of excuse is _that_? You shouldn't have attacked me so _mercilessly_ in the first place!" One hand slipped away from my shoulder so that he could swoon dramatically before fixing me with an amused gaze, a snicker or two slipping from his mouth.  
I returned the laughter, celebrating my out-smarting of my brother- a rare event and one worth enjoying despite the fact that I had to suffer a little in the process.  
The sudden sensation of the cold water had actually been quite refreshing against my bare chest, though. It soothed the boiling temperature of my body and helped wash away the post-coital haze that blurred my mind after my little 'experience' with Itachi.

My victory was short-lived, however, when Itachi's strong hands returned to my shoulders and I was suddenly pushed down, dunked deep into the water. The liquid blasted into my ears, making them pop uncomfortably and it rushed up my nose- almost making me fear that my brain was going to drown or something ridiculous- simply from the water pressure.

When I broke through the surface of the water again, I glared up at Itachi through my bangs, which were yet _again_ covering my eyes. Perhaps I should look into getting them all chopped off or something.  
The intensity of my glare softened when my eyes drank in the image of Itachi's navy shirt plastered to his skin with water, clinging to every subtle dip of muscle. The faint outline of a nipple, pert from the chilling temperature, was almost visible through the thin material.  
A shiver ran down my spine at the sight and I knew that if Itachi caught me staring, he'd know that the shudder shaking my body slightly wasn't solely from the cold. With that thought in mind, I tore my eyes way from the alluring picture, reminding myself that so soon after orgasm; my body wasn't ready to go again, no matter how much my mind told me I wanted it.

"Come on, let's get out of here before I catch pneumonia or something." I muttered, pooling chakra into the bottom of my feet and palms so that I could clamber onto the water's surface and step out onto the rocky ledge of solid ground. My head spun a little from the sudden change in altitude and when I stumbled backwards slightly, Itachi was there to give me a gentle push and steady hand to keep me upright. Looking back over my shoulder, I flashed him a bright smile before walking over to the more shaded part of the alcove in the rock to retrieve my shirt.  
Summoning the smallest flame in my palm – an old Uchiha fire technique- I gently let the heat roll over my skin, speeding up the time it would take for it to dry. When I was comfortable, I slipped my previously discarded shirt on over my head, the ends of my wet hair starting to soak the material almost instantaneously.

Itachi copied me, for the most part, but as he still had his shirt on when we fell into the water, he tugged it up and over his head. With concealed interest, I let my eyes roam over his glistening form. When his eyes caught mine, they were gleaming with amusement, but he didn't act upon it. I stood patiently waiting as he bunched the soaked fabric of his shirt up and twisted it with both hands, forcing droplets of water to be squeezed out. Finally, he slung the damp but slightly lighter shirt over his shoulder and flashed me a small grin, running his hand through his soaked locks.

"You ready?" He prompted, nodding his head in the direction of the village.

Returning the smile, I jogged over to him. "Tch," I joked. "I was _born_ ready." I puffed my chest out, sending a cocky wink his way.

"That's only because I was there when you were, loser." Itachi taunted, swinging an arm over my shoulders and tugging me close to him. "Where would you be without me, hm?"

A goofy grin threatened to break my face in two as I tilted my head upwards and pressed a kiss to Itachi's jaw, a silent agreement with him.

As long as I had him by my side, I _was_ ready for anything that we might experience together in the years to come.  


* * *

**Yes, that was _cheesy_. -shot-**

**Kdkjhjhf. Why does it suck so much?! I am eternally sorry that this is so short and pointless. Really, I am. I have no idea why I've been struck with such writer's block. At some point, I promise I'll come back and rewrite this crap. I've been really ill lately, so I'll have to go with that excuse; I've had so much on my mind, despite it being half term for me over here…**

**Anyways, I love you all very much- you've been amazing reviewers and very supportive. Thanks for seeing this story through to the end! I appreciate it, even though I think you're crazy for having such a high opinion of this half-assed story full of emotional trauma and cliché love. XD**

**Thanks all the same!  
You're brilliant.  
- Connie  
X x X**


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